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Our Stories
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Sir Jackie Stewart OBE
Springfield Youth Club President
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info@springfieldclub.co.uk
"Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value. " -Albert Einstein
"I AM VERY PROUD TO BE PART OF SPRINGFIELD"
Springfield Club has an incredible commitment to, among other things, giving young people who seldom get out of London the opportunity to visit the countryside and undertake activities they might never normally enjoy.
Anthony Marsh was chairman of the club from its start over 50 years ago, and ran it almost singlehandedly for a good many years. The club's young members matured and, very often, returned after they'd left, working tirelessly to help run the club – testament to Springfield's crucial role in the development of the young people it works with.
Lord Essendon was our first President, followed by Graham Hill, who was very active in enlarging the benefits of the club; particularly in the world of motor sport. I was appointed vice-president in 1965 and, after Graham’s tragic death while flying his own aircraft, was asked to take over the presidency. I have now been involved with the club for nearly 50 years, and my son Paul now works as the club's Executive Chairman.
Our most recent awards "bunfight" as I call it, brought together parents, friends, members and volunteers of Springfield, and, was yet again attended by our Patron HRH Prince Michael of Kent in honour of his generous commitment to our club.
I am very proud to be part of Springfield.
Springfield Awards
STACEY WINS PRESIDENT'S TROPHY OF EXCELLENCE
A London Metropolitan University student has won the President’s Trophy of Excellence in recognition of her commitment to Springfield Youth Club.
Please click here for the whole story published by London Met
Steve Herbert,
Springfield Club Staff
Steve’s experience also extends across both primary and secondary school phases for eight years. Offering support, training and advising schools on learning mentor implementation a national government scheme to help raise young people’s aspirations and help them achieve their full potential.
Having qualified with a BA Hons degree, diploma in Informal and Community Education and being a nationally qualified youth worker, Steve has a sound understanding of how to work effectively with young people in many different setting in and around London.
Steve values that opportunities and experiences can change the course of a young life, and has taken youth groups on exchanges, visiting countries like USA, Ghana and Sweden reviewing democracy issues and setting up youth councils.
Steve is also trained in anger and behaviour management and has a real passion and interest in working with challenging young people and realises that mentoring can make a tremendous difference not only to that young impressionable individual but to the wider community.
Steve is one of the club’s success stories. If you want to get involved or find out more information please email Steve
In the cool crisp month of September in 1981, Anthony Marsh visited the school that Steve Herbert attended, and in the assembly tried to encourage all the children to become active members of Springfield Youth Club. Anthony the former club leader highlighted an array of opportunities and exposure that would be available to the children if they joined.
Instantly recognising that his two elder brothers were both members, Steve felt allured to become a member too.
Steve became more than just an active member of the club, not only attending summer camps and Woodrow weekends; Steve represented the club in football as well as other sporting events. He seemed to take to it like a duck to water.
At the age of 17, Steve Herbert was a bright, determined and enthusiastic teenager, who was about come into his own as a young man with the world at his feet. Anthony approached Steve about volunteering at the club. Steve heard his calling and felt excited and nervous with the possibilities.
In the last 25 years Steve has grown from strength to strength and has delivered weekends away, summer camps, managed football teams, help fundraise and lead both internal and external events. Steve’s contributions were recognised in March 2013, when he was awarded the London Youth Silver Keystone award for over twenty years of voluntary service.
Steve is the Voluntary Club Manager at Springfield Youth Club and has been since September 2012. Previous to this, Steve was Hackney’s Learning Trust Education Project Manager, for the momentous 2012 London Olympics and Paralympics Games. Hackney Learning Trust is a charity organisation focussing on educational services for the borough of Hackney.
By working hand-in-hand with other youth organisations, Springfield has been able to expand its programme of activities and improve the Club’s facilities over the past 12 months.
This year, the management team is looking to forge even closer alliances with external agencies in a bid to increase the opportunities on offer to young members and volunteers.
One example is the Club’s blossoming relationship with London Youth, an umbrella organisation that offers support to the capital’s community youth groups.
Working closely with the team at London Youth’s new Sports Development Programme, Springfield has already delivered a 10-week basketball course to members, and is looking to add it permanently to the line-up.
The Club is also currently working hard to achieve the Quality Mark standard, London Youth’s quality assurance scheme for youth clubs that comes with City & Guilds accreditation.
Reaching out to young Londoners, London Youth is a registered charity with over 400 member organisations across Greater London.
Members deliver everything from training academies and anti-crime initiatives to youth clubs.
“We work with our members to help broaden and improve the activities they can offer,” explains Kieran Connolly, Sports Development Officer at London Youth.
“Through our members we engage with around 75,000 young Londoners, and we aim to improve their lives – and the lives of youth workers – in a range of different ways.”
Established in 1885, the charity has headquarters in London and two residential facilities in East Sussex and Buckinghamshire. London Youth, which now employs more than 100 people, is partly funded by the Sport England body and has become an established player on the youth sport scene.
“We have a great reputation and it’s certainly growing,” says Kieran. “Major organisations – the ones that matter – know who we are and appreciate what we’re trying to do. They recognise our unique position in being able to engage with thousands of young people, which is something they often struggle with.”
The team at London Youth have also played a savvy media game in recent years, securing primetime spots on radio and TV, most recently as stars of the Channel 4 show The Secret Millions. The show focuses on London Youth’s £1.7 million Lottery-funded project to renovate derelict properties in Lambeth while giving over 1,500 young people the chance to learn trade skills from the professionals.
“We have big support, and a growing profile for what we do,” says Kieran. “Last week, Sport England invited us to go on BBC London 94.9 to talk about their Sportivate funding. They could have contacted a host of people but they contacted us, which tells you our stature in the UK’s sporting community.”Legacy beyond the Game Kieran is the latest addition to London Youth’s fledgling sports initiative.
The Sports Development Programme, originally dubbed Getting Ready for the Games and Beyond, was set up in 2009 as part of the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics. Its goal was and is to ensure youth participation in sport and to empower organisations to deliver their own programmes on an ongoing basis.
“It was set up to ensure a sporting legacy"among members,” explains Kieran. “We had identified a need to deliver more structured sport at London’s youth clubs, and the Mayor’s office recognised this need. Sports provision at youth clubs has tended to be unstructured; delivered by people with plenty of passion but not necessarily the right qualifications.“That’s where we can help. We invest to help youth workers get the qualifications and training they need to deliver structured coaching sessions. In turn, young club members across London get a better experience at club level.”