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Lynsey Parker

Lynsey has volunteered for over 18months devoting 10 hours weekly covering roles such as sports administration, coaching, and website updates. She also helps to run a dance session for underprivileged young people on Friday evenings. She has helped to develop awards for them to ensure they gain recognition for their efforts and keep their interest. She was also heavily involved in the organisation of trials for the Partnership Youth Games. She has continued to volunteer whilst studying full time, giving up many evenings to promote sport in the community.

She helps out with one off events organised by the Local Authority.

Lynsey has always shown a strong desire to develop the skills of others, giving that little bit more to ensure people felt secure and confident no matter what the activity or environment. She constantly strives to make their experiences a positive one, even where others had previously found frustration and failure – for example: Lynsey was instrumental in the development of one particular group of young swimmers who had shown little improvement in their swimming skills. By working closely with the group Lynsey learnt of their difficulty in understanding instructions. By learning to rephrase comments, include varying demonstrations and repeated activities she managed to succeed in developing the groups’ skills. Previously the group had shown little improvement in the pool.

Lynsey has also taken responsibility for her own development having taken
courses such as Health and Safety & First Aid for a group of young people – to enable her to take a more active role in the club. She has also taken a Good Practice Child Protection, Community Sports Leader Award, Level 1 netball, Level 1 badminton course to offer further support at the Local Authority Sports events. She has volunteered at her local Partnership Youth Games, taking responsibility for the Photography of the teams.

She supported community sports activities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to participate in sport. These sessions have continued to grow and have helped many youngsters build their social circle. She also sits on local community meetings – as a representative for young people and developing sport in the community. She has helped to increase club membership and formed a social group aswell as improve team camaraderie.

She has formed a development forum for the club to ensure continued progress and gives the members the opportunity to voice their opinions in a structured manner. This has proved to be extremely popular and has helped to manage any previous issues arising between young club members She has been instrumental in the decrease of violent outbursts of certain individuals during sports sessions.