Amy

"I met Dougie when he was starting up The Academy. He asked me if I wanted to get involved. I was a bit unsure but when he explained what it was all about and what he wanted to do for the kids in the area I was convinced. When I was at school youth workers were really important to me and supported me through some tough times. It made me want to be a youth worker myself."

Creating community through sport

"In the beginning nobody really knew The Spartans Community Football Academy. Now because we are in the schools and out in the community everyone knows us. Football brings us together, and the kids feel part of something. The Academy got funding for me to do my degree in youth work. It was a big decision because when I was 18 years old I dropped out of college and I didn’t have a lot of confidence that I could do it. Because I was working at the same time it took six years to finish my degree and when I got my results this Summer I cried – it’s the only thing I’ve really ever stuck at, and it would have been easy to drop out. I’m really proud and so are my family. Even my old teachers were happy!

Where I grew up it was kind of normal that people thought that girls would just get pregnant and sign on. That’s not true, and I can make sure that young girls who come to The Academy know and believe that. I never really thought of myself as a role model, but now I realise the difference I can make to young people."

"Amy has really developed and shaped what it is to be youth worker at The Academy. She has an incredibly positive influence on the young people who come to The Academy, particularly the girls. Amy worked so hard to get her degree, and we are so proud of her journey."