Sadiyah finds her voice on NCS

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Sadiyah Desai, 19, is an inspiring young person who overcame the restrictions of her life-long disability, after building her skills and confidence through NCS with Preston North End Community and Education Trust (PNECT).

For most young people, acquiring the confidence to meet new people and push out of their comfort zone, can be a daunting process. Sadiyah Desai, has learning difficulties and severe sight loss, which has seriously lowered her confidence levels throughout her life. However, she owes her newfound confidence to the NCS programme and staff since encountering the opportunity to join NCS with PNECT, Sadiyah embraced the chance and has since seen her life transformed.

Sadiyah initially joined NCS with PNECT during Summer last year. NCS is the ultimate experience for young people aged 16-17, in which they are given the opportunity to make new friends, develop new skills and create new memories. The opportunity was offered to Sadiyah within her college who   encouraged her to get involved.

Sadiyah summarises her time on NCS with PNECT:

 “If it wasn’t for NCS coming into our college it is probably something I never would have had the opportunity to sign up nor would I have signed up for it.”

“NCS helped me gain confidence and impacted my confidence in everyday life or any work that related to college. I can now say that I have achieved something.”

“My time on NCS helped me gain confidence in asking for support and showed me it is not something to be ashamed off this has had a very positive impact on what I can now do at college and even at home. NCS has showed me how much I can achieve and I have achieved.”

As part of the programme, Sadiyah participated in a disability awareness workshop, in which Sadiyah approached NCS team members and spoke up about how her own disability has affected her confidence and self-esteem levels throughout her life.

Sadiyah was encouraged within the programme to speak about topics and areas she was most passionate about to group members. As a devote Muslim, Sadiyah was passionate about her faith and illustrated enlightening items connected to her faith. Sadiyah was motivated to talk to the group further on her religion and about her community.

This is where Sadiyah’s confidence began to come through and for the first time did public speaking.  in which she developed her confidence, presentation and public-speaking skills.

Brad North, NCS Co-ordinator was key in supporting Sadiyah throughout her time on NCS and had this to say:

“Sadiyah transformed from someone who could not speak to her classmates or answer questions in a classroom environment to speaking with confidence to some of the most senior officials connected with both NCS and her college.”

“Her journey is one the NCS team will always be proud of and it continues to motivate the team to deliver NCS in the hope to inspire the next young person.”

During her NCS experience, Sadiyah also greatly enjoyed the number of activities that was provided to her, in particular Zumba, in which she discussed with us about her joy of participating in.

“My favourite NCS activity to do was leading Zumba. Before NCS I never would have had the confidence to lead Zumba. However, NCS allowed me the opportunity to achieve that. I always thought people would laugh at the thought of me doing any type of chorography. With the help of Brad and Jess I started to lead the session and that is an experience I will never forget.”

“I taught myself something that day, that if you think you are good at something, then never be scared of expressing yourself. Leading Zumba is an experience I will never forget and is something I continue to do in class on a regular basis and NCS gave me that opportunity.”

After developing herself in such as short amount of time, Sadiyah felt transformed and motivated to continue in enlightening and helping others in areas that she was passionate about. This led to Sadiyah volunteering to the NCS Changemakers programme at PNECET, in which Sadiyah will be front and centre leading on upcoming Ramadan projects.

More recently, Sadiyah has had the opportunity to speak about her NCS Journey and the impact it has had with key figures which included the Chancellor of the Ducy of Lancaster, Steve Barclay and CEO of NCS, Mark Gifford.

Steve Barclay Minister for the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom visits Preston North End Community and Education Trust

Sadiyah met Mark at PNE’s annual NCS matchday and was selected by PNECET to be their special guest. She said:

“I really enjoyed it, I was so happy that I was chosen to attend the match day out of all the NCS participants, it just shows you how much I have achieved. The whole experience has made a massive impact on my confidence, everything has gone really well for me since doing NCS.”

“I have changed a lot, I can now confidently submit a good piece of work and it has shown my strengths. The match day highlighted this as it showed me how far I had come.”

The extent of the journey and transformation that Sadiyah has embarked upon has been remarkable, in which  for Sadiyah, who is now equipped with new skills and charisma, is in the perfect position to now progress further and reach her potential.

To find out more about NCS, click here.

2022 EFL Community Project of the Season winners announced

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Three EFL Clubs have been commended for their delivery of outstanding community projects by being recognised with the ‘Community Project of the Season’ award.

Announced as part of the EFL’s Week of Action, three divisional winners have been awarded for some of the most successful and impactful community projects within the EFL over the last year.

2022 Community Projects of the Season:

Championship – Preston North End

The Club won judges over with its innovative project supporting members of its local community marking Ramadan and Eid. The Club has also implemented a multi-faith prayer room for its supporters of all faiths, enabling fans to pray before and after games should they need to.

League One – Burton Albion

Burton Albion has been acknowledged for its success in supporting the NHS at the Burton Albion Vaccination Centre during the pandemic where more than 200,000 vaccinations have been carried out – a major undertaking for the Club.

League Two – Swindon Town

Judges were blown away by Swindon Town’s ‘Project Me’ mentoring initiative launched in response to the pandemic to support children with mild-to-moderate mental health concerns.

The winners will receive their awards at a special event hosted at the House of Commons on 19 April alongside project participants, staff and volunteers from each Club Community Organisation considered instrumental in delivering this commendable work.

The overall winner for each category will be announced live at the EFL Awards, 24 April 2022.

All 72 EFL Clubs, through their CCO’s deliver a wide range of projects 365 day per year focusing on improving health and wellbeing, raising aspirations, realising potential and building stronger, more cohesive communities. Using the appeal of football, EFL Clubs collectively invest over £59m in their communities annually.

Established in 2006, the EFL Awards is an annual gala event which celebrates excellence both on and off the pitch.

EFL reveal Community Club of the Season winners

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Announced as part of the EFL’s first ever Week of Action, six regional winners have been named Your Move Community Club of the Season for the outstanding work they have delivered off the pitch. The winning Clubs are:

  • Middlesbrough – North East & Yorkshire
  • Blackpool – North West
  • Derby County – Midlands
  • Milton Keynes Dons – South East & East
  • AFC Wimbledon – London
  • Plymouth Argyle – South West & Wales

The winners will receive their awards at a special event hosted at the House of Commons on 19 April alongside project participants, staff and volunteers from each Club Community Organisation (CCO).

The overall winner for each category will be announced live at the EFL Awards, 24 April 2022.

Each of the Clubs have made a significant difference to the lives of people living in their local areas, through projects designed to tackle societal issues such as loneliness, food poverty and education, amongst others.

2022 Your Move Community Clubs of the Season

North East & Yorkshire – Middlesbrough

The Club has been acknowledged for its impressive range of projects which include an innovative and adaptable ‘Boro Bus’ enabling the Club to take its community programmes to people who may not normally access these services readily.  

North West – Blackpool

Blackpool impressed the judges with its ability to engage with its community in new ways, for example through the development of a new Independent School offering alternate full-time education for Year 10 and 11 students.

Midlands – Derby County

From its Community Food Hub used as a main donation point for the city’s food banks, to the development of a new cancer project specifically for residents from underrepresented groups, Derby County’s range of projects were viewed by the judges as ‘outstanding’.

South East and East – Milton Keynes Dons

The judging panel were particularly taken with Milton Keynes Dons’ delivery of inclusion projects, with the Club the being the leading provider of inclusion football programmes across the region.

London – AFC Wimbledon

AFC Wimbledon’s significant volunteering numbers and scale of impact in the community made it a clear winner in this category with 850 local people volunteering on its projects over the last year.

South West and Wales – Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle impressed the judges with their innovative Green Social Prescribing project, helping to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of those most adversely affected by the pandemic.

All 72 EFL Clubs, through their CCOs deliver a wide range of projects 365 day per year focusing on improving health and wellbeing, raising aspirations, realising potential and building stronger, more cohesive communities. Using the appeal of football, EFL Clubs collectively invest over £59m in their communities annually.

Established in 2006, the EFL Awards is an annual gala event which celebrates excellence both on and off the pitch.

EFL’s first ever ‘Week of Action’

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This week marks the start of the EFL’s first-ever ‘Week of Action’, beginning today.

Running from 4 to 8 April, Clubs will showcase activity with EFL players and managers joining participants across England and Wales.

Using the power of football, EFL Clubs and Club Community Organisations (CCOs) collectively invest over £59m in their communities every year, engaging with some of the most vulnerable members of society.

In 2021, EFL Clubs and CCOs were recognised at both the Leaders Sports Awards and Sports Business Awards for the important and unique role they played in supporting their local communities during the pandemic.

Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, said:

“EFL Clubs are embedded in the towns and cities from which they take their name and this bond is strengthened by the life changing initiatives they run across England and Wales every single day. The EFL Week of Action is an opportunity for us to celebrate this invaluable work and demonstrate the remarkable difference clubs have on their communities away from the pitch.”

Liam Scully, Chair of the EFL Trust, said:

“Clubs’ work in their communities happens on a huge scale day in day out and directly aligns with priorities for the people in our communities both locally and on a national scale.

“The hours that are committed by our Club and Community Organisation teams and volunteers demonstrates an unwavering commitment to improving lives up and down the country and building stronger, healthier more active communities.”

Rhiannon Hatchard | “I like to use my experiences of having autism as a positive and let kids know that it’s okay and not a bad thing”

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Rhiannon Hatchard | “I like to use my experiences of having autism as a positive and let kids know that it’s okay and not a bad thing”

For 23-year-old Rhiannon Hatchard, a diagnosis of Asperger’s three years ago has given her the opportunity to speak positively about her experiences of the condition.

A Community Sports Coach with Wigan Athletic Community Trust, Rhiannon was speaking during Autism Acceptance Week (28th March – 3rd April) and explained how Asperger’s – which is a form of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) – has given her a better understanding of the way she thinks.

She said: “I was diagnosed when I was 20 and we kind of knew my whole life because there were little things that did stick out and I’ve got family members that have the same condition.

“When I found out it was quite nice really because it made me able to understand myself more and be a lot kinder to myself and understand why I think differently and why I do certain things.

“It was nice because I don’t really see it as a disability because it’s called a disability, but I don’t like to see it that way.

“I like to see it as a way that it’s made me think more creatively and given me different perspectives on life.”

Whilst working for the club’s official charity, Rhiannon has been sharing her experiences of living with the condition with youngsters in her sessions and believes it can only have a positive effect.

She added: “I like to use it as a positive, so when I tell people I’ve got autism, they’re shocked because I don’t come across as if I do.

“There are a lot of stigmas these days about autism, especially on TV. It’s just presented one way, that [autistic people] don’t understand emotions but there are so many different aspects and perspectives on it, you can’t really pinpoint it.

“For me, the best part of it in the job is when the kids that have autism themselves find out that I’ve got autism – it shocks them but in a good way.

“You can see they want to talk to me about it and we can talk to each other about our own experiences, and I can help them understand that it’s okay, it’s not a bad thing and it won’t stop you from doing things in your life.

“I feel it’s important to be able to speak to the teachers and the parents as well and help them understand because sometimes it’s nice because by talking to them you can see it helping them gain a perspective on how it might be for those children as well.”

Rhiannon first joined the Community Trust in September 2021 through the Kickstart scheme, which has now provided her with an opportunity to pursue a career in sports coaching.

She added: “I came here with no qualifications and no sporting qualifications, and I’ve never known how to deliver a session, but I’ve always loved sports growing up and taking part in them.

“When I first started, I felt anxious and shy, but now I’ve made some really good work colleagues and made good relationships with people.

“Looking back, it’s had its challenges and sometimes I’ve been thrown into the deep end which does overwhelm me but at the same time it’s done me good and helped me learn how to deal with things in different ways.

“It’s helped me grow as a person, I’ve learnt how to deliver a session and support children and teachers, and everyone at the Trust has been really understanding and given me great support that I’ve not had in other jobs before.

“The job feels really rewarding, there’s a lot of rewarding factors and I just feel like my confidence has gained quite a lot because I started off as such a shy and quiet person.

“I’m doing more on the disability sessions and the disability side, which I’m really enjoying, it’s so rewarding hearing stories and how it affects their lives, how they manage it and how they’ve grown with it as well.

“It’s really interesting and I’m hoping to go in that direction. I’m working part time here now, so I’m just doing different sessions and seeing where it takes me to be honest.”

 

Sutton United and Rotherham United are successful off the pitch too.

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Ahead of the Papa John’s Trophy Final on Sunday which will see Sutton United United take on Rotherham United at Wembley,  we celebrate the impact of their Club Community Orgnisations are having in their community, and in particular on Aaron and Stuart.

Sutton United Youth and community Foundation 

International honours and Building Sutton United

Starting with only a handful of players in 2014, Sutton United’s Disability programme has grown to now having three thriving 11-aside teams competing in the FA’s competitions. In 2019, one of the teams reached the FA People’s Cup final at St George’s Park which was broadcasted live on BBC. Sutton were the eventual runners up, which was an experience that the team would never forget.

One member of the disability team, Aaron Lucas, has recently been selected for the England Cerebral Palsy team.  Aaron, featured in the recent fixtures against the USA and Scotland at St. George’s Park. The games, which are the England team’s first since the start of the Covid pandemic, are in preparation for this summer’s Cerebral Palsy World Cup in Spain which Aaron is working hard to be part of.

Sutton United’s Disabalilty programme is much more than success on the pitch however and the weekly training sessions help build friendship, develop confidence and therefore are transforming people’s lives.

Steve King is the head and founder of Sutton United’s Disability programme. His determination to increase the opportunities for people with disabilities to play football has benefited so many in the community. Steve King reflects on the impact of Sutton United’s Disability programme:

“The disability programme has given the players a real sense of purpose and belonging. Not only does it get them all in top physical shape, it helps build their confidence and social skills. It really is life-changing for the players and we’ve had reports from some of the parents who’ve said the improvement in their self-esteem and wellbeing has been remarkable.”

 

Rotherham United Community Sports Trust 

“I’ve done everything from dropping off shopping to painting fence posts!”

Stuart is the selfless volunteer that helps Rotherham United Community Sports Trust support their local community.

Rotherham United Community Sports Trust are a cornerstone of the local community who work and interact with a whole host of people to make a positive impact on the local region.

Stuart Wildridge is one of the Trust’s volunteers who has selflessly committed his own time to his community for many years. Stuart has become the Trust’s resident mini-bus driver, transporting a number of teams and students to venues across the region. A service which is key to the successful delivery of so many of the Trust’s brilliant community schemes.

Stuart’s desire to help out where possible has become even greater during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was heavily involved in delivering care packages and donated food to people in need around the community. In addition, alongside his own shopping, Stuart collected items for participants, of RUCST’s programmes, who are deemed vulnerable and therefore could not go out themselves.

Stuart said:

“I’ve done everything from dropping off shopping to painting fence posts!

I first got involved with the Trust through Mind, who told me about the Trust’s walking group. I went and joined that, then they found out that I could drive a minibus, so then I ended up driving the walking group! It snowballed from there really. I started driving some of the kids’ teams around – the Academy players, both boys and girls – among various other groups. I just do it to make folks happy and hopefully they like me for it”.

Jamie Noble, Head of Community at the Trust said:

“He is one of those people who has a real desire to help others and he certainly does that. He is an inspirational character and we could all learn something from his amazingly selfless nature. It has been an absolute pleasure to know Stuart for all of these years and even more so to work with him. He embodies everything good about our football club and he is a shining example for Rotherham United in our community.

Stuart concluded by citing the main reason for his continued commitment to the Community Sports Trust and his ongoing charity work is the satisfaction he gets from being able to provide help to those around him.

He commented:

“It always feels worthwhile to see the smiles on people’s faces, particularly at times like this when it is that bit harder for everyone.”

 

From No GCSE to Top Grades: How Bristol City Helped Millie.

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Mille joined the Bristol City’s Robins Education programme in 2018, shy, lacking confidence, and with no self-belief after not passing any of her GCSE exams. She found herself unsure of the direction in which she wanted her life to go in. An advertisement for the Robins Foundation Education programme appeared whilst she was trawling social media one night. Despite being nervous, Millie pulled through her uncertainty to attend a taster session to find out more about what the course entailed.

She immediately built a rapport with the coaches and other girls just like her who would be on the same course, consequently Millie enjoyed her time and would soon find herself starting the course. It didn’t take her long to start to emerge from the shell she had burrowed herself into and built a strong relationship with her Sports Lecturer Chloe Rogers. Part of the course required students to complete a certain number of volunteer hours within the academic year. This took her out of her comfort zone and gave her a sense of responsibility she had not had before.

Millie volunteered through various avenues at Bristol City from overseeing the family zone on match days to supporting coaches at holiday camps. As well as this, she also helped out at sessions the Foundation run including Wildcats, Foster Care Sessions and Pan Disability Sessions.

From volunteering, Millie found her passion and quickly realised she wanted to pursue a career in coaching. Through her course and hours of volunteering Millie swiftly developed her coaching skills and secured a part-time coaching job whilst studying.

After 4 years with the Robins Foundation and Education programme, Millie has completed the BTEC Level 3 in National Extended Diploma in Sports and the Foundation Degree in Community Coaching and Development. Millie has now secured a full-time job as a Head Coach with Future Stars.

Sports Lecturer Chloe Rogers said: “Millie is a prime example of what empowering young females can do for females in the industry. Millie has been on a remarkable journey throughout her time at the foundation and this is all down to just a bit of belief in herself, from having minimal GCSE to graduating with the highest grade possible (D*D*D*) alongside 200 + Volunteering hours and a Level 1 Coaching qualification.

It has been a pleasure to witness her growth and see her impact on young females involved in other projects we run and the positive influence she has on young females getting involved in the sport. Millie was an asset to the classroom and her behavior, conversations, and assignments were always a joy to witness. I am very proud of everything Millie has achieved she is as unique as the course we run.”

Millie Rose said: “From starting The Robins Foundation as a young 16-year-old, lacking self-belief, confidence and purpose my four year journey has now come to end with me leaving the Robins Foundation with confidence, character and knowledge. I am going on to a job that I would never have imagined I would achieve – along with the most amazing memories/experience of my journey.”

Port Vale Foundation have been increasing the confidence of young people with disabilities on the NCS programme

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Through NCS with Port Vale Foundation, young people with disabilities at Kemball School have pushed through their comfort zones and acquired new skills and confidence. Young people on NCS were given the exciting opportunity to shadow staff at Port Vale FC, learning key workplace skills and developing their own job application acumen, enabling them to be work ready.

Port Vale Foundation began its collaborative work with Kemball School back in February this year, where NCS Skills Booster sessions were provided to assist the young people in a number of critical key areas such as; developing their own aspirations, gaining independence, acquiring employability and creating successful job application forms.

Throughout their experiences on NCS and with workshops such as, presentation and public speaking skills, the young people started to develop their skills and with it, simultaneously, their confidence.

A teacher from Kemball School had this to say about the programme:

“Pupils at Kemball School have had a difficult time over the last two years due to being unable to get out and about in the community. This being a skill which is vital for their preparation for adulthood skills. We were approached by Port Vale Foundation and were offered the NCS skills booster sessions.

From the first session, the pupils were engaged with the staff and were showing signs of wanting to get out of their comfort zones.”

In addition to the skills booster sessions, Port Vale FC hosted an NCS Takeover day, which was also referred to as ‘A Day in the Life of’. This was an exciting opportunity for the young people to shadow a key member of staff at the football club or foundation for the day, allowing them to gain essential work experience, as well as a peek into the working day lives of the Port Vale staff.

The young people were given exposure to a number of different roles at Port Vale, such as Hospitality, Groundskeeping, Marketing, Media and Operations. For the day, they were tasked on developing applications forms for the highlighted roles, and were to voice why they should be selected to be within that role for the day.

After gaining an insight into the roles they were shadowing, the young people were then thrilled to have been given exclusive access at the stadium, in which they also met Boomer the Port Vale FC mascot.

The young people made magnificent strides within such as short time frame, as they developed their skills and confidence through the sessions. They learnt first-hand on-the-job, the skills and attributes required to be working within the workplace. The young people made a huge impression on staff and have been invited back for more work experience at The Vale.

As a token of gratitude for all fantastic experiences and skills learnt, the young people wrote thank you letters to the staff members that they had shadowed for the day.

Jorgie Wallace, NCS Project Lead at Port Vale Foundation highlighted the day:

“On the day, the young people shone, they came out of their comfort zones and they were fantastic within their job roles. I am really excited that we have begun work with Kemball school and I am looking forward to what we can offer and the opportunities for the young people.

We are really excited for the NCS programme we are delivering to the year 11 cohort in May. Well done everyone!”

Port Vale Foundation have been working meticulously with delivering its NCS programme and impacting young people’s lives for the better within the community. As a part of their mission, Port Vale Foundation partner with 3 local SEND (Special Education Needs school) one of them being Kemball School, with the strong intention of allowing all young people to have equal opportunities and experiences.

To find out more about NCS, click here.

Niraj aims to be a role model for younger generations after graduating the degree programme with Preston North End Community and Education Trust

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Having completed the degree programme with the University of South Wales and Preston North End Community and Education Trust, Niraj aims to be a role model for the younger generations.

Niraj has been involved in the education courses with Preston for a total of five years having joined them after completing his GCSEs in 2016. Consequently, he always desired to pursue a career in sport and after attending the PNECET open evening, he was adamant to continue his journey in coaching.

He explained: “This was different in that I was in charge. I needed to drive what I wanted to learn. In school you have many subjects not all of them were for me, here I was given the structure, the tools and fantastic guidance from my tutors, especially Graeme Atkinson and Jodi Collum, they really treated us like adults but with clear leadership as to what was expected of us and the pitfalls of missing deadlines of submissions of assignments etc.”

Moreover, during his Level 3 BTEC, Niraj was an individual who wasn’t afraid to go out into schools to aid staff with their initiatives and this has benefitted him with his later endeavours. With a keen interest in futsal, he picked up his Level 2 Football Coaching qualification whilst delivering futsal at his local external club.

As a result of numerous real-world learning experiences, Niraj said: “My confidence has rocketed, and I feel I can manage many stakeholders from young children, young adults to parents. I understand the various facets that the trust is engaged in and more importantly how it contributes to the welfare of the overall community. I feel privileged to have the network of the community trust. I have matured and become professional and that is all due to the trust supporting me and guiding me.”

One of these experiences is supporting the delivery of Primary Stars in schools at a number of predominantly Asian speaking schools in Preston where he now sees himself “as an ambassador for PNECET”. With such an influence on the younger generation, he said: “I feel honoured that I am representing the trust and I know from the feedback I receive from the children at numerous schools that some of them including some very young ones who say they also want to be a coach and work for PNETCET. This gives me a real buzz and I know each day will be different with their own challenges that help shape and develop me further.”

Niraj is a valued member of the part-time staff at the Trust, but he now wants to continue his personal growth and development “secure a full-time role with PNECET and lead by example to other students.”

“This opportunity has opened new and exciting doors that were not open to me before.”

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Stuart Sorensen struggled with attaining any tangible work opportunities after graduating from university. However, after working with Burton Albion Community Trust and Burton Albion Academy on their Kickstart programme, Stuart was able to develop his expertise, confidence and acquire a full-time role.

Stuart, recently graduated from university with a Master’s Degree in Politics. Like many young people during the pandemic, Stuart found it difficult to secure a full-time role or gain experience.

However, when discovering the opportunity to work as a Kickstart Administration & Operations Assistant at Burton Albion Community Trust and Academy, this was the catalyst for Stuart’s career.

Stuart talks about his initial experience with Kickstart:

“I was shown this opportunity by my work coach which fused my interest in working in the community and my love for sports. Due to this, I thought it was an opportunity worth taking and have not regretted the decision since.”

“The kickstart role has allowed me to gain experience and confidence in a variety of ways. This has allowed me to take on extra responsibilities in my new role. I also believe that the confidence and the skills that I have acquired during my time with Burton, will allow me to move forward with any future roles that may come my way.”

“This opportunity has opened new and exciting doors that were not open to me before.”

Stuart was able to a develop his own skills during his role. He played an integral role in coordinating matchday games for players in the U9’s-U19’s programmes.

“We have seen the appreciation we get from the players, parents, coaches, and referees for the effort that we put into our games programme. The one game that I thought was enjoyable to work on was the FA Youth Cup first round game, where the U19s played against Sheffield Wednesday at the Pirelli Stadium. It was really satisfying to help assist on such a big occasion and I look forward to doing more with the Academy in the future.”     

Other activities which Stuart was involved in as a part of his role included; Communicating with internal and external stakeholders, preparing large events placed by the Club Academy, assisting with updating and developing a wide-range of policies, as well as gaining a general understanding of the day-to-day operations of the Academy.  

After generating an overwhelming impact, Stuart was able to secure his role full-time at Burton Albion Community Trust and Academy, in which Stuart pays his gratitude to Kickstart, as it allowed him to develop essential skills:

“The kickstart role has allowed me to gain experience and confidence in a variety of ways which has helped in taking on additional responsibilities. The confidence and the skills that I have acquired during my time with Burton, will allow me to move forward with any future roles that may come my way. This opportunity has opened new and exciting doors that were not open to me before.”

“The support during Kickstart has been excellent and being given the opportunity to help other kickstarter’s now in my new role is a pleasure. I have had a great opportunity to work with the club and I am grateful for the chance to continue to work with my colleagues in the Academy and Community Trust, and continue to help them on the journey that we are on together!“

Click here to find out more about Kickstart.