I made some enquiries as to the potential cost and timelines. I then communicated via email the opportunity this grant could provide and asked for volunteers to come forward. At the outset, I outlined the proposed process for engaging and the number of hours required per month. The number of positive responses indicated that, in the event we were successful with our application, I had the necessary numbers for a project team and I applied for a grant.
At this juncture, I should add that since 2010, I have been running a Tennis Leaders programme which provides 20 hours of training, both on and off court, covering communication and organisational skills. The programme has been very successful and I formed the opinion that the opportunity to be involved with the rebuild of our website would consolidate our young people communication and organisational skills further as it would also provide them with a broad understanding of the mechanics of Project Management, which is one of the areas where I happen to have a smattering of knowledge.
The outcome would also provide an online ongoing presence which would be current and relevant in today’s digital environment. Outputs would include project initiation, project management and project delivery.
Our grant application was successful but we were still a litte short with finances. Luckily, another grant application I had made to the Essex County LTA provided us with £300 and with the club trustees agreeing to cover any shortfall from club’s funds, we were ready to proceed.
My first step concerned the completion of a stakeholders mapping as this would identify the level of influence from each stakeholder and their impact through a matrix. As a result, I would know which young people would assist with the successful delivery of the project [the team] and who would be responsible for the delivery of the project [the board].
By the beginning of February I followed up with our Terms of Reference which crystallised the purpose of the project, the frequency of the meetings, the reporting and outputs as well as the governance.
Monitoring included a high level plan against key dates and milestones as we also had to report to our grant funders.
I work as a full time Recruitment Marketing Business Manager for a Government Department. Therefore, I could only work on this project on selected evenings and weekends but given that I am well organised and adaptable, this was not an issue.
Covid-19 presented us with unexpected complications. However, we overcame potential issues by using technology to communicate by creating a WhatsApp group and also using emails and Skype resources therefore maintaning social distancing and avoiding unecessary travels while minimising our carbon footprint.
We expected the project to take 8 months to finish but we managed to complete it ahead of schedule by one month.
The commitment from three of our young people in particular, exceeded our expectations and I asked them to let me have a summary of their involvement including what they thought they had learnt. These have been published on the News section of our website and I would invite you to read them to understand what they were asked to do and what they feel they have learned.
As a club administrator and volunteer organiser for the past 30 years at Hylands, I have directly seen the positive effect that building our social capital can generate. I am of the view that today, more than ever, we need to nurture societal cohesiveness in our young people because the danger of not investing in them is that they may grow up to be cynical and disillusioned.
Building connections with others often leads to dependable relationships and a stronger sense of a stable community. Having ample opportunities to give back can transform the way young people navigate both the good and the challenging moments of their lives. Research from Harvard university has found that close relationships and communities is what keeps people the happiest and healthiest throughout their lives.
There are several things we cannot do by ourselves. For example, we cannot build infrastructures by ourselves as they are often too expensive. However, there are things we can build collectively. The creation and contents of our new website is evidence that many hands make light work and that together we can.
If you like what we do, click on our home page and donate what you can.
Let me conclude by thanking our club trustees, the members of our project board and our project team. Also thank you to the Jack Petchey Foundation and to the Essex County LTA whose funds allowed us to realise this project. Finally, special thanks to Andrew Scott of applestalk for creating our new website and for his patience and to David Waldon for his expertise with marketing and creative design as well as his invaluable advice throughout.
