Students from Seevic College have been given the opportunity to gain vital experience on their Sports, Leisure and Tourism course from Southend United's Community Trust.

Over the course of seven weeks, the Community Trust have set up a new project working in partnership with Seevic College and their new campus in Basildon.

The project is part of the 'Goals! Life Skills' programme, which was recently shortlisted for the prestigious international Beyond Sport Award, for all students studying at Seevic aged between 16 and 19.

The Community Trust will be involved in giving the students an insight in sports training and helping them to organise a football festival at a school, as well as life skills training.

Community Chief Executive Steve Goodsell said: "It's good for us to branch out and work in Basildon.

"The students are all part of a Sports, Leisure and Tourism NVQ Level 2 course and this new seven week project will be included as part of that.

"For four hours a day once a week, we will be assisting them in this course to give them some experience of one of the counties leading sports organisations. This could ultimately lead to them doing some voluntary work here or maybe even a job.

"It will give the students an insight into the basics of sports coaching, so we will be taking them through what is known as a Junior Football Organisers course. At the end of the seven weeks, they will then organise a football festival for a local school.

"We will also be giving them life skills training around the areas of career, finance management and aspiration.

"It is a joint project with Southend United and as part of it, students will get an opportunity to meet and work with representatives from the media and commercial department.

"The youth department will also be showing them how we run the youth development and what it takes to be a success in sport."