Shining Lights Centre

Hunslet Warriors Rugby League Club

Hunslet Green Community Sports Club, the home of Hunslet Warriors Rugby League Club, has been a hub for local people in the South Leeds area, providing opportunities to play rugby from the under 6’s level right through to adult level. With a desire to make the club more inclusive to female players, and those with disabilities, the club employed the help of VIY to make this happen.

Over the course of several weeks, our VIY mentors helped 60 young people from the local area, including 23 from Broomfield Specialist Inclusive Learning Centre, volunteer on the project to help convert a disused male changing room into their first female changing room, implement a new physio room and match day kitchen, and redecorate existing changing rooms and the entrance to give the club a modern feel.

With funding from Sport England and the Rugby League World Cup’s CreatedBy programme, and materials supplied by Travis Perkins Leeds Coal Road and Dulux UK, a whopping 123 City and Guilds accreditations were achieved by the young volunteers.

Our lead Mentor on the project, Saj, was full of high praise for the young volunteers, and first time VIY Mentor, Matloob Hashimi, said:

‘My first project was kind of an eye opener. On my first day I was really nervous because I had never worked with young people. After a few days I was thinking all of those years ago, I was like these kids, learning from someone to improve my skills. My favourite part was at the end of the day I would ask the kids if they enjoyed themselves and learnt anything that day, and with a big smile, they would say YES’.

Academy of St Nicholas

Adelaide School

Bibbys Farm Scout Activity Centre

Blackley Cricket Club

The words of the club Chairman, Tony Ganner, brilliantly tells the story of the impact of this VIY project on the club (with some of our photos to illustrate!)

“5 years ago, the ground and clubhouse had fallen into serious disrepair to a point where cricket could no longer be played at the ground. Membership had fallen to the extent that the club was reduced to one senior men’s team playing at a rented ground elsewhere in the city. A new committee was formed, and new lease was agreed with Manchester City Council, extensive fundraising began to address the above issues with the assistance and support of local Councillors, Manchester Cricket Development Group and Lancashire Cricket Foundation.

Extensive repairs and refurbishment to both the ground and the clubhouse which has included a new roof have taken place over the past four years. Great efforts have been made to increase membership and participation in cricket to the extent that the club now has two senior teams, a thriving women’s and girl’s section which fields a team in a Women’s Soft Ball League. The Club also now operates an All Stars Cricket Programme for 5 to 8 year old boys and girls and a Dynamos Cricket Programme for 8 to 11 year olds. The clubhouse is also now used by a local scout group.

Earlier this year the club was put in touch with VIY via Lancashire Cricket Foundation who have been instrumental in helping the club with its current development.”

5 young people from Manchester Youth Zone and the local area volunteered on a tough job removing old flaking paintwork and repairing damaged concrete panels, as well as the complete external painting of the buildings, plus two additional shipping containers which are currently used as a changing room and a ground equipment store. Five P&D (hard-earned!)and H&S Entry Level 3 City & Guilds accreditations were awarded through this project.

“The transformation of the exterior of building is incredible. The work has been carried out to a very high standard and the project has been completed bang on schedule. The club are delighted with the project outcome and are extremely grateful to the mentors and the young people who have carried out the work. It has been a truly worthwhile project that is of great benefit to both the club and the wider community.”

Tony Ganner

Club Chairman, Blackley Cricket Club

Blessed Trinity College

Bowlee Pavillion

Burnley Boys & Girls Club

Bury Cricket Club

Bury Cricket Club is a long-established and prominent sports club in the local area, which is one of the 20% most deprived wards in the UK. The club applied to VIY for help to construct perimeter picket fencing to improve the appearance and security of the grounds and also, at the same time, to engage more potential female members at the club.

Over the course of two project phases, 21 young female volunteers were involved: 14 referred by Lancashire County Women’s Cricket Regional Development Centre and seven from Bury College. Most of the participants were first-time volunteers and all of the college students were new to cricket. Working together with VIY trade skills mentors, all of the young volunteers had the opportunity to try their hands at a mix of jobs, covering groundwork and fence-building, and 14 of the participants successfully achieved an Entry Level 3 City & Guilds Carpentry Skills Accreditation in the process.

The club was really pleased with the results of the project and the enthusiasm and positivity that the young people brought to the club. Matthew Metcalfe, chairman at Bury Cricket Club, said the following: “Imran, the VIY Lead Mentor, and his team did a great job in enthusing the young volunteers and the very positive working relationship between the mentors and the volunteers was clear to see. It’s easy to sometimes be jaded about young people and their willingness to involve themselves in community activities, but this project was a great reminder that there are thousands of young people who, if the right button can be pressed at the right time, will metaphorically move mountains for you. The girls did a great job and hopefully we can continue to involve them with the club.”

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