Football-focused support cuts Ayrshire youth offending

A football-driven intervention programme has improved school attendance and reduced crime involvement across Ayrshire. 

The Killie Community’s Pitchin’ In initiative has delivered significant improvements in young people’s engagement with education and reductions in negative behaviours, with results that highlight the scale of the challenge and the power of early intervention.

Across the most recent programme, participating students recorded a 16 per cent improvement in school attendance, rising from an average 63 per cent to 79 per cent. Behavioural referrals fell dramatically, dropping from an average of 4.4 per month to 1.4. Crime involvement reduced by 50 per cent, with no criminal incidents involving participants in November.

Darul Knapp, programmes manager at the award-winning Killie Community, said: “These results show what is possible when young people are given consistent support, trusted relationships and a safe space to grow. Football is the hook, but it is the connections and partnerships we build that breed results.

“We are incredibly proud of the progress the young people make, not just in terms of the stats, but also with their confidence and changes in behaviour.

“The initiative is delivering tangible results for the young people, schools and the wider community.”

Pitchin’ In follows a structured eight-week programme that blends educational workshops with physical activity and benefits from input from Police Scotland, Show Racism the Red Card, STAR Centre and NHS’s Prevention and Service Support Team.

The programme has now supported 44 young people from seven Ayrshire schools and they all came together for a pre-Christmas football tournament to celebrate their successes.

While the headline stats demonstrate the impact collectively, individual stories highlight the initiatives deeper value. One young person increased their school attendance from 25 per cent to 77 per cent, while another reduced school referrals from nine in a single month to zero.

Parents and school staff have also reported noticeable improvements in behaviour, confidence and engagement. Some students have described Pitchin’ In as their motivating reason to attend school each week.

Daryl said: “We are keen to expand our reach and involve more schools next year. The demand is rising and we want to be able to increase capacity so we can support more young people.”