Apprentice of the Year: CS&HO – Coach Core Awards 2025
This award celebrates a Coach Core apprentice who has surpassed expectations on their Community Sport & Health Officer (L3) programme.
The Level 3 qualification is equivalent to A-levels and can provide both an entry point for those starting work based learning, and a ‘next step’ for those who have completed their Level 2 qualification. It is a relatively new part of the Coach Core programme and the apprentices on it deserve recognition separate from their Level 2 counterparts. These finalists are just the tip of the iceberg and their accomplishments a small reflection of the whole year’s cohort. Nevertheless, the work they have done, the attitudes they have shown, the development they have gone through have made their accomplishments worth highlighting.
Charles Ward
Manchester, Nuffield Health
Charles deserves recognition, not only for his drive and progression through the Level 2 and now Level 3 apprenticeships, but also for the opportunities he is creating to tackle health inequalities in the local Manchester community. Charles’ employer has been able to rely on him to take ownership of his projects in a landscape that was relatively new to them and he has done this successfully, forging relationships with local partners and governing bodies and delivering activity across local schools and at events. One of his bigger pieces of work has been around a local girls football project which introduced free football sessions to 7 – 11 year old girls. Charles has been responsible for the management of the funding, design and partnership building involved in this.
He has stepped up when his line managers were on long periods of leave, and has volunteered to mentor new Coach Core apprentices and organises the facilities for the Manchester Coach Core programmes education days. Contending with all this, as well as staying on top of his own apprenticeship made for a period of challenge, but one that he rose to, developing the skills and experiences that will support his future career.
A key project for Charles has been leading on the funding, design and partnership building to create a local girls’ football project which introduced free football sessions to 7 – 11 year olds.
“He has stepped up again this year and he is going to be delivering development workshops to my new cohort on employability and career skills. He is a true asset to Nuffield health and the Coach Core apprenticeship programme in Manchester.”
Millie Stott
Nottinghamshire & Derby, ATTFE College
One of the highlights of Millie’s apprenticeship has been a place-based project focusing on the Coxmoor estate in Ashfield. This area is the second most deprived ward in the district and a truly hard to reach area where inactivity levels are high and levels of mental health are poor. Millie supported a consultation project to hear young people’s views about mental health and the support available within communities. Using her empathetic, positive and friendly approach Millie was able to quickly connect with the young people, putting them at ease to be able to share and to capture their honest views in this subject areas, which was invaluable to the project outcomes.
This work kickstarted Millie’s passion to want to provide more opportunities for families and young people in the area. Through working in partnership with the district council and local schools in the area, Millie has since supported family learning sessions in the local primary school on the estate with a regular following of families now engaging. She has supported the delivery of a range of activities including healthy eating and cooking as well as gardening schools implementing a soft approach to introducing healthy lifestyles knowledge to these families. Due to the success of this engagement we were approached by Ashfield District Council to support further after school provision at another local school venue on the estate as well offering free activities during the school holidays.
Millie also works extensively with older participants, including running golf sessions for people with dementia which evoke positive memories, reduce feelings of isolation and provide a sense of purpose and achievement.
“I cannot speak highly enough of Millie and I am so proud of her and what she has achieved over the last year. She has been an absolute pleasure to have within the team and is an absolute credit to ATTFE College, Coach Core and Active Nottinghamshire who supported funding towards her apprenticeship.”
Spencer Glaze
Leicester, Make Change Inclusive
Spencer is a natural advocate for both the children he works with and the wider community. His caring and supportive nature make him a trusted figure among parents, carers, and students alike. His primarily works in schools’ PE and after-school programs where he tailors activities to suit the individual needs of each child. He designs PE sessions that incorporate adaptive exercises, ensuring that children with varying abilities—whether physical, cognitive, or emotional—can participate fully. His ability to modify games and introduce accessible sports has led to greater student engagement, especially for those who may struggle in traditional PE settings.
One of Spencer’s most impressive examples of resilience and adaptability came when he was asked to work at a different school that required him to take 4 buses to get there. Despite the travel and time commitments, Spencer took on this challenge with enthusiasm and professionalism. He quickly integrated into the new environment and delivered the same high standard of work. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with staff requesting Spencer be based there for longer than the initially agreed two weeks.
Spencer also has significant personal responsibilities as a carer for his father. Balancing the demands of an apprenticeship with the emotional and physical demands of caregiving is not easy, but Spencer has managed this balance with maturity and a positive attitude, maintaining a high standard of work throughout.
“At just 16 years old, Spencer has already shown an extraordinary level of professionalism, and dedication. The fact that Spencer is so young but already demonstrating such a high level of responsibility and empathy is a testament to his exceptional character and maturity.”
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