The Relay
Always A Chance is delighted to present one of the most exciting fundraising events the UK has ever seen: The 92 Club Football Relay – Running riot in the fight against violence.
The event will see thousands of people taking part in a relay to all 92 football league grounds in the country. Individuals and organisations representing every walk of life will gain sponsorshipto run, cycle, free run, skateboard, unicycle, rollerblade, swim or use any other man powered means possible to complete one leg of the journey. The relay will be staged over 12 weeks between February and April 2012 and will cover a staggering 2200 miles across England and Wales. We are proud to have the full support of the Premier League, Football League and the F.A as well as having secured match day appearances and baton change overs at some of the biggest football clubs in the country. We are encouraging as many individuals and organisations as possible to get involved so please fill in the online form to register your interest and become a part of history.
Who We Are
Always A Chance has been established in memory of James Cooper and James Kouzaris who were tragically shot dead in Sarasota, Florida on April 16th 2011. Our vision is a society in the UK free from violence and the endemic social factors which lead to violent crime.
What We Do
We believe that every young person has a voice worth listening to and that the way to solve the problem of violent crime in our society is to allow young people to help steer our organisation and the way we tackle our objectives. In addition, we believe in a holistic approach to fighting violence. This is why we want to invest heavily in supporting victims of violent crime whilst also funding initiatives which allow young people to become a positive force in society.
In short, we aim to fund three key areas of work:
• The establishing of workshops and steering groups which allow young people to discuss and confront the issues of violence and gang culture. This is with the aim of creating a reciprocal educational experience whereby students are empowered to help inform our strategies to tackle violence and encouraged to contribute to the debate.
• Projects which work with young people who are either not in full time education or employment or have recently left custodial care, with the aim of providing them with an appropriate framework and platform to re-enter the educational system or take the first steps into the world of employment.
• Providing victims of violent crime and their families with a modern, robust counselling network to help them overcome the emotional impact of a serious violent attack or sudden death of a loved one
The August Riots
In August 2011, the UK witnessed scenes of destruction on a worrying scale. Acts of rioting, looting, violence and arson swept through major towns and cities leaving innocent bystanders powerless to protect their own property and personal safety.
The devastation reached way beyond the cities and towns immediately affected. A sense of despair was felt throughout the nation which left some commentators to cite a fundamental and irreversible breakdown of social order.
What is perhaps most damaging about the events of last August is that they have served to increase the level of suspicion and mistrust of young people from the rest of society – something which has increasingly characterised this relationship in recent years.
As an organisation, we fundamentally believe that there is no place for the actions of August 2011 but neither is there an excuse for society to sit back and do nothing about the endemic social causes of such outbreaks of violence. Young people are capable of extraordinary things and it is our duty to ensure that they are given the appropriate framework of support and the right platforms to become a positive force within society.
To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction and the 92 Club Relay is the counter strike against the events of last August. Our journey will travel through many of the places affected by the riots and provide an opportunity to unite football and the wider community in the fight against violence. It will also provide a platform to highlight what extraordinary achievements young people can achieve – together as one we can make a difference.
