Message from the Health Through Sport Chairman of Trustees
In 2004, as Headteacher of Southmead C.P. School, and incidentally a committed Evertonian, I attended a meeting at which Ronny Goodlass was speaking and offering his services as a coach. Like everyone else who has met Ronny, I was struck by his energy, drive and enthusiasm and I was determined to take him up on his offer. Thus began a tremendously rewarding association.
His Wednesday afternoon visits became the highlight of the week for our junior pupils, girls as well as boys. They responded brilliantly to his coaching drills, threw themselves into games and reacted enthusiastically to his promptings for good behaviour, healthy eating and fitness. Ronny arranged matches for our pupils and he rewarded effort, fair play and sportsmanship with certificates, badges and trophies.
It became obvious that Health Through Sport was having an extremely positive influence on both behaviour and lifestyle. When Ronny told me that he was going to start a charity that aimed to improve health through the promotion of sporting activities, I was only too happy to serve as Chairman.
Since its inception Health Through Sport has helped both children and adults. Ronny has had a great impact on a wide variety of people including for example, recovering drug addicts and alcoholics, disaffected and disadvantaged youths and ex offenders. He has helped many to achieve recognised qualifications through the National Open College Network and he has been an inspiration to all who have come to him for help.
His new venture, which is targeted at the homeless, is deserving of our full support.
If anybody is going to make a success of such an enterprise then it could only be Ronny Goodlass.
Mike Dalton
Chairman of Trustees
Message from the Trustees (Eddie Bowman)
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing the work of Health Through Sport for a number of years.
Ronnie Goodlass, the coach and organizer for the project, is an ex-professional footballer with Everton FC and a longtime co-commentator and match day analyst on Radio Merseyside.
He has devised a number of projects aimed at improving people’s health and well-being. The main focus is football coaching with some of the hardest-to-reach communities, including ex-offenders, the homeless, those who misuse drugs and alcohol, and young people.
Ronnie’s latest idea is a 10-week program that will improve participants' literacy and IT skills, give them interview techniques, and provide experience in using multimedia and social media, a massively expanding area for jobs.
The young people will get a chance to explore issues of concern to them, such as jobs, school, and health. They will produce a podcast and blog on these and other issues they identify.
They will get to see how the media works at a Premier League football game and work together on producing a video podcast or blog on the game and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into bringing a show to air.
This will involve interviewing those involved and being interviewed themselves, giving them new insights while developing strong foundations to work alongside a Level 1 media skills qualification.
Units include:
- Developing own interpersonal skills
- Engaging in discussion
- Self-esteem and confidence
- New media techniques
This program will give young people not just a qualification but a transferable skill set vital in today’s workplace, improving and developing the three As employers all look for: Aptitude, Attitude, and Application.
A little bit of background about myself: I have thirty years of experience working in a number of fields:
- European Play Association: Helped organize multilateral youth exchanges between Spain, Italy, Germany, the UK, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Austria. This involved identifying young people, organizing fundraising events, applying for funding, identifying themes, and developing workshops around them (e.g., drugs and alcohol).
- Chair of European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN): Worked with the EAPN as a worker with CAP. I was elected chair in '97. My duties included speaking at seminars, facilitating workshops on poverty and social exclusion, the role of the EAPN in the EU, and working with the UK government on its social exclusion action plan. This plan was the forerunner to the government’s Opportunities for All strategy. We also contributed to the Social Exclusion Unit’s various PAT teams.
- Youth and Community for Speke Garston Partnership: Worked across the area on issues of funding and policy.
- West Everton Community Council: Centre Manager
- European Policy Office Merseyside: Provided advice and guidance to local authorities across Merseyside on Objective One and other EU matters.
- Liverpool Housing Trust Community Regeneration Team
- Liverpool City Council Anti-Poverty Unit: Provided welfare rights and supported anti-poverty projects across Liverpool.
Eddie Bowman
Trustee
