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Lucy is our one of the latest graduates from our CashBack for Communities Towards New Futures programme, but she is also the first face of our new Game Changers series.

Game Changers celebrates the inspiring stories of those who have had the courage and drive to make positive changes in their lives through their participation in the Foundation’s activities and Lucy has done just that.

Lucy,17, a former pupil of St Andrew’s Secondary School, was disengaged in the traditional learning environment. She did not enjoy school at all and barely attended throughout the school term, leaving with few qualifications. Through involvement in three of our community programmes focussing on education and employment, Lucy has grown in confidence, gained qualifications and earned a college place for early next year.

This is her journey, in her own words, about how she successfully re-engaged with her education and got herself back on track all while dealing with a serious injury.

Lucy said:

“I first became aware of what the Foundation could offer me through school. They told me that there was a programme that would suit me. Before I started, I wasn’t too keen on going but I thought that I’d be better off giving it a chance I ended up really enjoying it straight away and wanted to come back.

“I completed the Wider Achievement programme first then Towards Better Futures and finally the CashBack course. The school were good in the sense that they identified that I might find it better working with the Foundation because I’m really into sports and things like that.”

The Foundation is a Scottish Qualifications Authority Approved Centre and can therefore offer SQA awards which recognise wider achievement and the development of skills which will help learners to succeed in today’s world.

The key thing that Lucy credits the three programmes with is getting her more and relevant qualifications. She said:

“Coming here I enjoyed it a lot more than school because I was doing things and completing qualifications that were more relevant to me and my life.

“I just found that school was never ever going to be for me. I never enjoyed it or the subjects I had. P.E was probably the only thing I would say I enjoyed about school. I found the practical subjects a bit easier but everything else I found that was mainly sitting in class, I didn’t enjoy.”

“The qualifications I’ve completed have been really important. Coming here and completing National 4s and 5s has set me up to go ahead and do something that I want to.”

Lucy is an athlete and participated in women’s football while also being a keen boxer. Unfortunately, earlier this year, she suffered a serious knee injury while playing football. She explained how the injury happened and how she felt.

Lucy said:

“I had gone back to football after a long period out and the first game back I came on as a sub and scored almost straight away. Then two minutes after that, I twisted my knee really badly after getting caught in a challenge.

“It was horrible for me because I was buzzing to be back playing and then everything all just kind of shattered for me all at once when I realised that I wouldn’t be able to play for a long time again and I couldn’t go to my boxing either.”

“I knew straight away that the time out was going to be a mental challenge for me as well as a physical challenge and there’s has been ups and downs from it.”

With three different employability programmes now behind her, Lucy reflected on her time with the Foundation and the changes she sees in herself. She said:

“One of the biggest changes I see in myself from before I started working with the Foundation is my confidence. I think the people around me since I’ve been here have really inspired me to kick on and do what I want to do.

“That confidence has allowed me to apply for college and I’m now going to do football studies which will hopefully lead me on to a Sports Coaching with Development course. I chose to do that because football has been a huge part of my life almost since I could walk.”

“It’s important to stay connected to the sports that I love even when I’m injured because if I don’t, it will be mentally and physically tougher to come back so I’m really grateful for the time I’ve spent here which has given me the chance to get qualifications, go to college and stay involved with my passions even though I can’t compete at the moment.”

Lucy also explained why the delivery approach by Foundation staff can make all the difference.

She added:

“The staff here really took the time to help me build a path and set goals. We sat down and worked out a plan that involved me going to college and now at the end of the CashBack programme, I’ve got a college place for January in the new year!”

Foundation Community Programmes Manager, Jamie Duncanson is equally pleased to have Lucy focussed and on the right track. He said:

“Lucy wasn’t engaging in school at all and at first, she was quite apprehensive about coming here. The school were delighted with the fact that she engaged with us almost immediately.

“Getting Lucy involved was the first step and we can then talk to her about what she wants to get from her time with us so that we can suggest different education-based programmes and help her maximise her potential.

“The drastic turn around also demonstrates how the breadth of our educational programmes was key in supporting Lucy for the required sustained period.”

Whether they attended one of our wide range of community courses, achieved a qualification, accepted help to find a job, attended counselling, got fitter, took steps towards addiction recovery or re-engaged in their education and future potential, our Game Changers have one inspirational thing in common – they have been empowered by the Foundation to overcome barriers in their lives and move forward.

Being one of the Foundation’s Game Changers is an accolade acknowledging the bravery and determination they have shown in order to ‘change the game’ in their own lives, with support from the Rangers Charity Foundation, and we are very proud of Lucy for being our very first Game Changer.

To find out more about any of the three programmes Lucy was involved in, check out the community programmes section of our website HERE or contact Community Programmes Manager, Jamie Duncanson via e-mail on: jamieduncanson@rangers.co.uk