Richard Luscombe We are thrilled to announce that our ACTing with Children programme has won Community Project of the Season at the EFL Awards!
After winning the divisional award for the Championship, Argyle Community Trust and the ACTing with Football programme saw off tough competition from Port Vale’s cost-of-living programme ‘Baby Bank’ and Charlton Athletic’s Youth Engagement Vehicles scheme to claim the overall award on Sunday.
Argyle Community Trust’s Marketing Manager, Richard Luscombe, and Data and Impact Officer, Rian Carrington, were present in the capital to collect the award on behalf of the Trust.
CCO, Jason Chapman, said: “We are delighted that ACTing with Children has received the recognition it deserves at the 2025 EFL Awards.
“We are proud to be supporting a cause which has been overlooked for too long, and we hope to continue the growth of this programme.
“The success of ACTing with Children is a testament to the hard work of our team in Cornwall, and from our partners, in delivering this ground-breaking project.”
ACTing with Children Lead, Wayne Berry, said: “Since its inception, ACTing with Children has made an extraordinary impact in an incredibly short space of time and has positively affected the lives of a large number of young people.
“I am immensely proud to report a significant increase in the number of young people consistently attending school which is a testament to the programme’s immediate effectiveness.
“Alongside this, we have seen a notable reduction in time-outs, resets, and isolation sessions, clearly demonstrating how the ACTing with Children programme is successfully fostering positive engagement, emotional resilience, and a stronger sense of community within our schools.
“The outcomes we have achieved so far are nothing short of outstanding and we are excited to continue building on this remarkable foundation as we move forward.
“Many young people have grown throughout the programme, both educationally and in self-worth.”
ACTing with Children supports children and young people aged 0-18 in Cornwall who have a parent in prison. The Trust provide tailored one-to-one and group support to young people affected and is supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chief Constable, and Safer Cornwall through the Serious Violence Prevention Programme Breaking the Cycle.
Gov.uk data estimates that in England and Wales, between October 2021 and October 2022, 192,912 children had a parent in prison. It has also come to light that a child with a parent in prison is 78% more likely to offend.
The impact on affected children is heart-breaking. National research has found impacts include increased mental ill health, emotional trauma, lower academic achievement, anti-social behaviour, involvement in the criminal justice system and social disadvantage.
To find out more about the ACTing with Children Programme, please click here.
