The Tea Dances
Some people are worried that there is a split growing...
Read MoreChadwick Jackson
Chadwick Jackson’s project is nothing less than a multi-sports Academy. On a regular basis young people aged between 7 and 16 come together in Ladywood, central Birmingham to practice and have a go at various sports such as basketball, football and handball.
Chad Jackson (Photo courtesy Chad Jackson)
“The aims of the project were to get people off the streets, make them fit and healthy, and encourage teamwork and positive competition,” says Chad.
He used social media and word-of-mouth to get more than 100 people involved, with two retired P.E. teachers volunteering to assist with the sessions.
Photo credit: Max Crowe (CC License)
Chad previously ran a smaller, one-week project, but this one was a big jump up for him. “This was really hectic!” says Chad. “With this project, I feel like I’ve gone up another level.”
“I’m definitely happy with the way the project has gone,” says Chad. “It’s just been really, really good.”
As well as helping local young people to learn and share new skills, Chad has also learnt plenty of new things himself. “The project definitely made me more organised,” he says. “I learnt from my mistakes, and I learnt to not dwell on things for too long.”
Photo credit: Ell Brown (CC License)
In this economy, training and experience can be difficult to find, but Chad thinks that running a project like this is an experience to build on in the future. “You gain a lot of transferable skills, even if the project isn’t in the same field as the career you want to go into,” he says, ” such as managing a budget, contacting people, and meeting deadlines.”
“I would say to others thinking about starting a project – just go for it, but be prepared to work.”
Thanks Chad. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves! Why not tell us about your project idea now?
Chad said: “My Development Manager, Eva, was always just a phone call or an email away when I needed support. We’d meet about once a month, but there were always emails going back and forth.”
Top image credit: Niklas Morberg (Creative Commons License)
