Hi I’m Jeremy (or Jez) Haycox and I’m 23 years old. I’ve been working with children in a variety of roles for 6 years, with my main background being football coaching. I have a BTEC National Diploma in Sports Studies and I hold a UEFA Level C Football Coaching badge and have a FA Level 2 Certificate in Treatment and Management of Injuries. I also hold Level 1 coaching awards for Cricket, Tennis and Futsal.I support Arsenal and Shrewsbury Town Football Clubs and I play for Futsalopians in the Shropshire Futsal League where we finished 2nd in our first ever season. I have recently returned from a round the world trip which was absolutely amazing and along the way I managed to do an awesome range of activities including white water rafting, snowboarding, caving, scuba diving and a 15,000 foot skydive!It has been an exciting time for all of us involved in the Reccy Rangers and Street Sports Team. The new van has been out and about and the Play Van is as popular as ever. Personally, I am really enjoying getting to know our “regulars,” who turn up every week to our sessions and get the most from what we do. It shows that they enjoy what we provide for them and also keeps them busy and active for a couple of hours each week. We have a great team and we are looking forward to taking the schemes onwards and upwards.
Van design winners May 4, 2007
In January we offered young people in the borough the opportunity to design our new street sports van. We had over 30 entries which were reduced to a final eight and then these were taken to Sundorne Secondary school for the pupils to decide which one they would most like to see on the van. It was a very close competition and in the end there were two clear winners. It was decided to split the prize between the two overall winners and to incorporate both designs onto the van. It looks great.
The winners of the competition are Lucy Richards age 11 from Harlescott Junior school and Hayley Formstone from Monkmoor Youth Lodge
new team member May 4, 2007
The reccy ranger team is now complete. Our new team member is 19 year old Michelle Pound. Michelle will be assisting with the play van and Jeremy and Stephanie will be out and about in the Street Sports van. Over the Easter holidays we were consulting with young people between 11 and 18 years of age to see what mobile equipment they would prefer to see around the borough and the overall favourite was a climbing wall. I need to see if the Big lottery will allow us to change from what we were orginally planning to buy, a five-a-side inflatable football pitch and mobile skate ramps and use the money for the climbing wall. The girls said they certainly would use a wall more than a skateramp or football and the boys felt there were the mugas for football and other games. We already have some ramps we carry around in the van so hopefully we will have a wall before summer. What are your thoughts? let me know!
We have been working on our half term holiday programme and the street sports van will be working in the following areas: Ford, Harlescott, Sundorne, Greenfields, and Monkmoor so look out for our programme on the council website and local newspaper. Jez and Stef will be at school assemblies to let you know what we’re going to be up to.
Later on this month we’re off to Lilleshall to join in a street games conference, we hope to come back with skills on how to play hand ball an up and coming sport which is ideal for street sports, so watch this space.
Up and Running April 11, 2007
Through the Doorway to Healthy Living a voluntary sector organisation has at long last succeeded in getting the Street Sports project on the road. The van is now out and about. The van was purchased in January 2007 after nearly a year’s delay to the project, through £150,000 funding from the Big Lottery Youth Fund for a three year period as well as funding from the Borough and County Council. Through January to March much work was taking place behind the scenes. My thanks go to Steve Doyle from SABC transport section for negiotating a good price for the van and the art work, it’s much appreciated, thanks also to Paul Baines from Art and Vision for his help in reaching the final design and application to the van. We think and more importantly the young people think it’s a brillant job.
Two staff members were appointed in January, Jeremy Haycox as street sports play leader and Stephanie Lewis as play assistant, b oth make a great team and relate well to the kids they’re working with. Since February Jez and Steph and myself have been visiting junior schools in North Shrewsbury providing free play sessions after school and can have between 12 and 30 children attending. We’ve organised consultation with young people regarding what equipment they would like to see on the streets sports van as well as working with young people on the design for the van. We’re happy with the finished product and so are the kids using the van. They think it’s cool. So well done to Lucy Richards age 11 from Sundorne and Hayley Formstone age 13 from Monkmoor for your winning designs. Both girls received vouchers for £25 for their efforts and they will see their designs for a long time to come as the van is out and about around Shrewsbury. More to come but need to be out and about this afternoon.
