Epping forest College students are helping youths from deprived areas stay out of trouble and focused on sport as part of a special community scheme.

The sports students took part in the "AIR Football" scheme, which provides youths aged 16 and over with one to one specialist coaching.

The team have already taken part in five-a-side tournaments against squads from Hainault and Beckton.

The programme aims to increase fitness, confidence and self-esteem in the youths, many of whom have a history of drug/alcohol abuse or who have been in trouble with police.

The college provided two teams for the Hainault tournament.

These were : “EFC Athletic” - Liam Muir, Andrew Blake, Jehmeil Lemonius, Josh Pickett, Tom Simon, Jack Daveney and Josh Burton, and “Mangion’s Companions” - Charlie Mangion, Ethan Finney, Kieran Martin, Sam Cooper, Ross Heudebourck, Dan Bryan and Grant Coy.

Both teams made it through to the semi finals of the Hainault tournament, where they faced each other for a place in the final.

Mangion’s Companions won that game but unfortunately lost out in the final 3-1, to the eventual winners ”AIR Football FC”.

IN the Beckton tournament the "EFC United" team fared better, making it through toi the final before losing out to local side "FFF"

Epping Forest College Sports Tutor Nadine Fryatt said: “All the college football teams played really well, and they were an absolute credit to the college in terms of their behaviour throughout the day."

TO find out more about the AIR Football scheme visit www.airfootball.co.uk