Martene Carroll

On Friday 25^th November the JRF Team opened the doors at Bridgestone Arena for the third networking session of their new Real Talk – Passport to Success Programme, delivered in partnership with Young Brent Foundation, and One Flow One Brent.

Young people who are considering GCSE and A Level options and career pathways, are invited to attend the monthly employment pathways and networking sessions.

The latest session offered young people attending, the chance to hear from guest speakers, and meet representatives from a host of industries including Hyde, Metropolitan Thames Valley, Transport for London, Wates, and the Shaw Trust. There was a focus on Media with professionals within the industry sharing their knowledge, skills, and expertise with those interested in pursuing a career within Media and other creative industries.

The Real Talk and Networking sessions offer young people in Brent an opportunity to hone their skills and open their minds to future employment and career pathways.

The events are free to attend to all young people who might be considering their future career prospects.

If you are interested in attending a future session, please contact the Foundation at info@jasonrobertsfoundation.org with the subject header: Passport to Success.

On Wednesday the 23^rd of November local people from the Brent Community came together for an evening of celebration, to mark the end of the Reaching and Building Communities Projects, which were funded by Brent Council’s Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL).

The event, which was sponsored by Eversleigh LLP, and attended by Mayor of Brent Cllr Abdi Aden, was an opportunity for the JRF Team to recognise the achievements of participants of the two Projects, as well as JRF Youth Volunteers and Staff.

Reaching Communities – a 1-year inter-generational pilot project that supports the whole community through youth engagement, community cohesion, and health and wellbeing was launched in October 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite social distancing restrictions and lockdowns, the JRF were successful in delivering all the planned events and activities, whether in person or online.

In April 2021 JRF launched the Building Communities project – a community engagement and activity programme that addresses inequality and social exclusion, saw teams of staff, volunteers, sports coaches, and mentors, engage with marginalised and isolated individuals and groups across the borough through outreach initiatives. People of all ages were encouraged to participate in community sports, activities, and events delivered by JRF at Bridgestone Arena and were signposted to other voluntary and support services in Brent.

The End of Programme celebration of “Culture, Empathy, and shared Prosperity” saw children, young people, and adults receiving certificates and trophies in recognition and celebration of their participation, achievement, and leadership. Our Youth Volunteers who supported the successful delivery of both programmes were rewarded for their dedication and time, with certificates and vouchers.

Martene Carroll, Business Development Manager of the Foundation said; “The Awards Ceremony epitomised the purpose and spirit of both the Reaching Communities and Building Communities projects, which brought our wonderfully diverse community together. It was a joy to see key participants, volunteers, and staff being recognised in this way. The evening really was a celebration of their individual and combined accomplishments.”

Photo © Amanda Rose

On Sunday 16^th October the Jason Roberts Foundation were delighted to host a very unique event – ‘Full Circle’ at the Bridgestone Arena, as former professional footballers gathered en masse to share their journeys, knowledge, and experience of the game, with the local community and aspiring individuals looking to learn more about the inner depths of the game.

The event was supported by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) with former player Riz Rehman attending alongside the JRF’s Inspire to Achieve Heritage project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Young Brent Foundation, and Connect Stars.

Former professional players, Zesh Rehman, Mikele Leigertwood, Colin Barnes, Jerome Thomas, Marcus Bean, Mark Stein, Edwin Stein, Jamal Campbell Ryce, Richard Langley, Justin Cochrane,  DJ Campbell, Junior Lewis, and Phil Ifil, all came together and delivered a number of sessions, looking at practical coaching and delivery, skill sharing, and personal history sessions to help educate people from the local community and surrounding areas.

The initiative which has taken several months to plan really did come Full Circle on the day of the event, with the name reflecting the individual journey of each of the players who attended, and their contribution on the day, helping to inspire future generations.

With the ongoing partnership between JRF and local Football & Sports Business University, UCFB, a small team of students who are studying different degree courses, are supporting JRF events such as the Full Circle initiative.

The students – Joshua Hall and Matt Jessup who are studying Football Business and Media, Daniel Marshall who is studying Multimedia Sports Journalism, and Alex Hardy who is studying Football Business and Broadcasting, used their collective skills on the day to interview players and other participants, and film and edit a video of the event for JRF. The experience and skills they demonstrated will be used as credits for their degree coursework.

Otis Roberts, CEO of the Foundation commented: “These players were, and still are, an integral part of the community. We felt that an initiative such as this really epitomizes the valuable contribution these individuals can offer, by sharing their stories – their upbringing, playing careers as well as their subsequent careers in football, and their knowledge and expertise. The event enabled participants to have a up close and personal experience and discover key elements of the game and associated careers that will help their development and understanding, allowing them to take their next individual step in the game.

Our first Full Circle event has been a huge success and something that we will certainly look to deliver again in the future.”

Due to the popularity of the event, JRF have organised some follow-on sessions where some participants will visit some of the coaches in their place of work helping to develop community partnerships and employment opportunities for young people.

On Sunday 7^th August Bakkavor Meals London took over Bridgestone Arena for a community day of Sports, Games, Activities, and Refreshments, to raise funds for the Jason Roberts Foundation.

The Fundraising Event organised by Luke Burgham, HR Business Partner from Bakkavor Meals followed the success of the T10 Cricket Event last year that raised over £600 for JRF, and saw staff, teams, and volunteers come together with people from the local community, in a day that included a Cricket and Football Tournament, Giant Board Games, an Inflatable Bouncy Castle, and a Raffle which included some fabulous prizes!

As well as raising money on the day Bakkavor Meals have set up a Just Giving page so those people that weren’t able to attend the Sunday Event could still donate.

The sunny weather helped to ensure everyone who attended had a great day out.

Luke Burgham said of the day.

“We were beyond excited to be able to host our second annual cricket event with the Jason Roberts Foundation this year. On the back of the success of last year’s we were able to continue growing this event together and making it the best experience for everyone involved! Being able to also have a Jason Roberts team this year was the cherry on top of the cake, and we hoped showed everyone what the heart of this Foundation was about by keeping people playing sports! We look forward to many more years in partnership.”

For more information regarding Bakkavor Meals London visit https://www.bakkavor.com/en/home/default.aspx