Intensive mentoring for troubled schoolchildren using football kickabouts has significantly increased wellbeing, delivering happiness boosts equivalent to an unemployed adult getting a job, a study has found.
A project involving more than 2,000 pupils in dozens of secondary schools showed that instead of wellbeing declining, their happiness scores increased, especially among students at risk of exclusion with behavioral issues.
The charity, Football Beyond Borders (FBB), sends mentors into schools to act as trusted adults for at-risk children, using aspects of football games to teach coping skills and improve relationships.
An assessment by Pro Bono Economics found that a mentor paid 30,000 a year delivered over 100,000 worth of wellbeing benefits for each school, with an average 0.6-point increase in pupils' life satisfaction scores.
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