Goalball UK launch Young Trustees Programme
Goalball UK has received almost £10,000 in funding from the National Lottery to support a new Young Trustees programme. The project will help empower young goalball players by giving them a voice within the national governing body on everything from grassroots development to income generation.
Identified through clubs, schools and outreach, the young trustees will gain valuable life-skills, hands-on experience, and the opportunity to influence real changes to goalball in the UK.
Young Person’s representative on Goalball UK competition committee, Meme Robertson said:
"It’s been fantastic to have my voice heard on the competition committee. The experience has massively helped with my confidence and helped me learn to speak up. This scheme will give others the chance to have a say on how the sport is run – I can’t wait to work with them."
Mike Winder, CEO of Goalball UK said:
"We want to bring children and young people together within our community to help build strong relationships across the family of goalball in the UK and beyond.
"Often, due to their impairment, our players report to us that they are overlooked within school, university and community settings in being nominated and elected for groups such as school council, committees and boards. This new programme will help to address this by developing the 'Board Room' skills of our young players and volunteers."
Mark continues:
"The trustees will be required to work with each other and senior management as well as outside organisations – breaking them out of their comfort zone and requiring them to interact with a wide variety of people and groups.
"We know that low self-esteem and confidence can be an issue for young people within our sport. We already encourage independence and agency with regular tournaments and training away from home but the trustee programme is the next step in giving our participants real-world skills and transforming their lives beyond the sport."
Goalball UK is the national governing body for the only sport specifically created for blind and partially sighted people. They aim to raise the profile of the sport throughout the UK, promote participation at all levels and achieve success on the international stage.
