A FOOTBALL club scheme to teach youngsters about the dangers of drugs has won a £10,000 grant.
Members of Northumbria Police Authority have approved the donation to train Sunderland Football Club coaches to deliver Drug Prevention Through Football courses.
The scheme is aimed at children in years six and seven, in the Thorney Close and Southwick areas of Sunderland, where there has been an increase in substance misuse in recent years.
It will comprise six sessions during each half term and it is hoped that by using Sunderland's coaches, the anti-drugs message will have an increased impact on youngsters.
The coaches will be trained by Priority Healthcare Wearside's health promotion unit, with contributions from Sunderland Youth Offending Team.
Chairman of Northumbria Police Authority, Councillor George Gill, said: "Combining a popular activity such as football with an important message has been successful in the past, so the involvement of professional coaches from a major Premier League club should guarantee this programme's success.
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