A Newark youngster who started a sports programme in an African school is now back in Mansfield, using her passion for sport to improve local families' lives

She said: “After school all my friends were going to university, but I didn’t really know if I wanted to do that. I was working in a supermarket but felt quite uninspired, so I headed to Uganda and implemented a sports programme at a school for three months”.

“While I was there, I realised that this is what I am. I love sport. I started thinking outside the box, and community work was on my radar as my mum works in the industry, so I applied for Coach Core and chose Academy Transformation Trust Further Education College as my employer”.

Millie delivers a range of sessions in the community, all of which aim to improve wellbeing and create a safe space for families, she said: “There so many different ways to get people moving or physically active; it’s not always about big team sports, even going on a walk and talking about mental health is really positive”.

“For our sessions that involve children, we focus on the game aspect of sport rather than technique or performance. We’re equipping them with games that they can replicate with their friends in the local park.

“It’s all about creating positive experiences with moving their bodies”.

Now a year into the apprenticeship, Millie is delighted with her development: “I’ve had to learn loads. When I first started it was a shock to the system as I hadn’t been out in communities much before”.

“At the start a lot of people didn’t listen to me. I was just a 20-year-old, and they thought I couldn’t relate to them. The best thing I did is say, ‘you know what, you’re right, you teach me, tell me what’s it’s like’. I think that definitely made me more approachable and encouraged people to speak with me”.

Millies’ apprenticeship is through Coach Core, a national charity that delivers sports coaching apprenticeships. Coach Core was formed as part of the London 2012 Olympic legacy, to focus on providing apprenticeship opportunities in areas where youth unemployment is high and in communities where sport can make the most difference.

The charity are calling on the Government to prioritise and invest in sports apprenticeships to help tackle the current youth unemployment crisis and deliver on its Youth Guarantee manifesto pledge.

Less than 1% (0.7%) of apprenticeships starts in England are in the physical activity sector and the charity along with other leading voices in the industry, believe the sector is well placed to help the government deliver its manifesto pledge.

Coach Core Chief Executive, Gary Laybourne, said: “The sport and physical activity sector is the poor relation to other traditional sectors when it comes to apprenticeships. We know that sport has a unique appeal to young people, especially in Nottinghamshire, yet it accounts for less than 1% of apprenticeships nationwide. It needs to be taken more seriously and prioritised as a career opportunity especially for those from marginalised backgrounds.”

Millie is enjoying her apprenticeships and encourages others to also follow their passion: “I always say to people if you’ve got passion for something, don’t let those around you dictate what you want to do. If it makes you happy, do it”.