Power of sport helping more young people to ‘Get on Track’

The power of sport is being used by Bridgend County Borough Council and the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust to help another group of young people make more positive life choices.

The local authority and the trust have teamed up once again to run the innovative ‘Get on Track’ programme, which uses elite athletes as inspirational mentors.

Wales women’s rugby player Philippa Tuttiett and assistant mentor Michaela Breeze – Great Britain’s most successful weight lifter – are guiding 12 young people over five weeks of various activities from their base at the Bridgend YMCA.

As well as spending the next month bringing their CVs up to scratch and working on interview techniques, the group of 16 to 24 year-olds will also take part in healthy eating sessions, volunteering opportunities and a first aid course.

This is our fourth intake of ‘Get on Track’ participants since we became the first Welsh local authority to host the programme. It’s a very effective programme, with the excellent mentors acting as role models to help young people from a range of backgrounds to improve their prospects in life.

Elite athletes such as Philippa, Michaela and Dame Kelly Holmes herself all possess unique skills and attitudes. They know exactly what it is like to overcome adversity and still have the will to succeed.

It can often take just one special person to turn someone’s life around by helping them to find the confidence and determination they need. The Get on Track programme will often push the participants outside of their comfort zones to develop the social and personal skills they need to find work or get back into education or training. I’m sure that all of the participants will find the programme extremely useful and I wish them every success.

Councillor Dhanisha Patel, the council’s Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations