The Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme (RAMP), part of the Government’s RESPECT agenda is coming to a town near you!

The scheme is a mentoring programme for local schools and community groups, utilising inspirational elite sports people as mentors. Supported by Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust, it aims to improve the lives of young people through sport in target neighbourhoods.

Respect Mentoring Scheme
Funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the RESPECT mentoring scheme supports disadvantaged and disaffected young people by providing them with the opportunity to work with professionals across a range of sporting and creative disciplines. Mentoring can improve confidence and self-esteem, as well as raising aspirations, giving young people the sort of positive and challenging experience that will inspire and motivate them.  

The scheme runs until March 2008, building on the commitment made in the Respect Action Plan last year it will initially be delivered in areas included as part of the first trache of 40 Respect Areas as well as the London Boroughs of Camden, Hackney, Lambeth, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark.

It is being offered in three sectors: Sport (Sport England and Youth Sport Trust); Media (Media Trust); and Music (Youth Music).

The Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme (RAMP)
Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust are responsible for delivering the sport element of the project entitled the Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme (RAMP). Sport England is responsible for the community element, and the Youth Sport Trust is responsible for the educational element.

Timing and Location
The aim of RAMP is to deliver 150 ‘mentoring packages’ to positively influence disaffected and disadvantaged young people. They will be delivered between August 2007 and March 2008 with each package lasting approximately six months. Each mentoring package is tailor made based on the needs of the young person or people (up to five per package), and has a maximum of six ‘delivery days’ by an allocated Athlete Mentor. Sixteen specifically recruited elite athletes (of the past and present) are appropriately trained, and supported to deliver a total of 900 ‘delivery days’ in fourteen selected RESPECT Action Areas. The vision is to position athletes trained and experienced as mentors to influence a behavioural change in disaffected young people through the power of sport. Mark Hylton and Louise Davis, retired elite athletes themselves, are co-ordinating the team of Athlete Mentors providing advice and support. The objective is to target young people who are either:

Involved in anti-social behaviour, or

Are at risk becoming involved in anti-social behaviour

RAMP will initially be delivered in 15 area's across England: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sandwell, Camden, Hackney, Lambeth, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark.

Mentoring athletes include: Mark Hylton (Athletics), Nick Gillingham (Swimming), Mike Mullen (BMX), Richard Doughty (Cricket), Maggie Alphonsi (Rugby), Courtney Fry (Boxing) and Bryan Steel (Cycling)

For general enquiries call Katie Legg on 01245 328303.

For media enquiries call Johanna Whitaker on 01753 740074