ONE ON ONE Interview: Hackney Wolverines' manager, Windell Ward

The Hackney Wolverines is a youth football club that uses sport to get Hackney’s kids off the streets. Ravender Sembhy talks to the club's founder and manager about what the Wolverines are doing to help tackle the problems of guns, gangs and drugs.


What makes the Wolverines different from any other football team in Hackney?

“We are much more than just a football team. We are a youth project organisation, with a sub-office on the troubled Asplan and Marcon Estate that aims to provide sports opportunities for children. We offer free sports training and educational literature, and we organise street parties for youngsters and run anti-drugs programmes.”

What kinds of problems are there with Hackney’s youth?

“A big part of the problem is the mindset of the kids. There’s now a ‘postcode problem’ developing, where kids from certain areas form gangs based on their postcodes. These gangs are bad news: drugs, anti-social behaviour, and in many cases real violence, like stabbings, are common. These are problems we cannot ignore.”

Can sport really help solve the problems?

“Yes. If we try to get kids from different parts of the borough together, to play for the same team, then sport will have acted as something that unites and helps create understanding. Sport helps people kill out conflict.”

How successful are the Wolverines at doing this?

“We have been quite successful, but it is hard to give an actual success rate. From what I have seen, we are making strides in the right direction. We are now trying to expand into different areas of the borough, but it is not easy. We need funding to do things like taking children out of the borough on trips, and that is hard to come by.”

Is the future bright for Hackney’s kids?

“I would like to think that it is getting better. In my opinion, it is all about education versus ignorance. Ignorance breeds animosity, and the only way to counter ignorance is through education. Education through experience is one way. Bringing more kids into teams is the way forward: if we are all on the same team, then we can work together to make Hackney a better place for everyone, not just young people.”