Sports Development Officer
North East Lincolnshire County Council
Fay W
0:00:03 My name is Fay W and I’m a Sports Development Officer for Positive Futures. Positive Futures is a Home Office and crown concern initiative which aims to engage young people who are at risk of offending to engage them in sport and other means of physical activity.
00:00:19 I work in the local area organising sports activities and other activities for young people who are in these deprived areas and who’ve been identified by the police as being causing nuisance and I engage them in sport by putting on sessions in their local communities.
00:00:36 I used to participate in athletics and threw javelin for the county and went for trials for the English schools but I failed those. I was quite popular at school. I was the captain of all the sports teams from, you know, the athletics team to netball, rounders, hockey, football but I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I think I should’ve done and didn’t put in as much effort as I should’ve done but it doesn’t really matter to me in the job that I’m in now because you don’t need a degree for the job that I’m in.
00:01:07 Throughout school, I wanted to be a PE teacher until I found out that the idea of having to go to university. I kind of found school as one of those things where I just went, did it, got good grades, didn’t really enjoy it as I was going along. From what other people say when they say oh school was the best time in my life, I kind of look back and think it wasn’t for me. But a job came up in sports development as a trainee doing an NVQ. My PE teacher advised me to go for it so I did.
00:01:33 My NVQ was actually in business and administration which didn’t really appeal to me either but it was the placement that appealed. It was in the sports development sector and after completing the NVQ after six months, I applied for a job within sports development as a trainee which I was successful in. I was a trainee for just over a year and this August, I was promoted into the Sports Development Officer post.
00:01:59 When I was 16, I always thought that I’d be at university with all my friends and doing, you know, things I shouldn’t be. I’m glad that I didn’t go to university down that road just for the fact that now I’m earning my own money and if I had of gone to university, I would’ve started where I did anyway so I’ve kind of stepped ahead two or three years so I’m happy with that.
00:02:21 I think I’m enthused. I actually go to church which…which enthuses me in my job. My beliefs are completely against what these young people are doing but I know if I can make a difference with what they’re…you know, change their lives through what I do in my job, I’d be very successful. I have a good faith and I have faith in my religion but I have a good faith in the young people I work with as well. I don’t ever kind of give up on them.
00:02:47 I think it’s just the results that inspire me ‘cos I’ve seen the results, I’ve seen young people come through the system. It just keeps me going. I just enjoy the kind of little buzz I get from seeing young people changing their lives and kind of look back on how they used to be and…and how they are now. That’s inspiring to me.
00:03:05 The high point in my career so far I think was the…the promotion I got the…I went for another job and I was put into post in August this year so not long ago. I’m really enjoying that and I’ve…I think I’ve come a long way just in the past couple of weeks. Because I’m working to that higher standard, I have to change the way I am and it’s quite enjoyable. I like doing that.
00:03:29 I’d like to move up in my job, become more management. I don’t think I could go to the top but I…I’d like to just, you know, move up may be another step. Yeah, I like being on the lower ground level working face-to-face with the young people. I don’t think it’d be mu…as enjoyable not being able to see the results myself.
00:03:45 My hope and aspirations that I could continue the good work that I’m doing and just keep my enthusiasm and my determination and I know from that I could go further and move up.
END
Fay was active in sports at school and threw javelin for the county. She now works as Sports Development Officer, engaging ‘at risk’ young people to participate in sport. She describes how her faith impacts on her job: “I have a good faith and I have faith in my religion but I have a good faith in the young people I work with as well”.
More information about Youth and community workers
The UK average salary is £29,813
There are 37.5 hours in the average working week
The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male
Future employment
- Organises social, recreational and educational activities in local community and youth groups;
- Undertakes the day-to-day running of community centres and supervises the activities of part-time and voluntary workers;
- Liaises and supports voluntary workers running groups in village halls, churches, mosques and other places of worship;
- Advises individuals with particular needs or problems through informal discussion, individual counselling or formal group discussion;
- Helps set up credit unions, encourages parents to establish playgroups, works with other groups to find solutions to shared concerns or problems.
