Jack Mullineux has always held a passionate belief that sport can have a positive effect on people’s lives, which sparked his journey at Edge Hill as an Undergraduate, to a Masters Student, and now into employment.

Jack Mullineux wearing his graduation robes at his graduation ceremony

Jack, now working as as National Citizen Service Manager for Preston North End Community and Education Trust, began studying a Sports Development programme, which gave him plenty of opportunity to engage with a range of community based placements and voluntary work, including working with Everton in the Community on a project called The People’s Family Project as a coach and family mentor.

The project was particularly challenging as some families held little interest in taking part in the sessions. However, forming a rapport and offering one-on-one support facilitated their engagement and improved their health and future career prospects

Jack continued his studies at Edge Hill on the MSc Sport, Physical Activity & Mental Health course, where he began working on Tackling the Blues.

This programme ensured that specific sessions were delivered to improve young people’s mental and physical literacy. For example, I was responsible for the delivery of physical activity and sports sessions which enhanced young people’s physical and mental competencies.”

Tackling the Blues not only benefits the young people and organisations involved, but has also given Jack a wealth of skills and experience which he can apply in his current role as a National Citizen Service Manager, where he is responsible for organising and delivering National Citizen Service projects that target people aged 16-17 across Preston and part of Lancashire. The role includes the recruitment and retention of young people and planning and organising residential trips and social action projects throughout the year.

“This role requires me to apply my organisation skills as I have to lead on all aspects of the programme including the administration, management of small teams and staff and the planning of multiple residential trips. The role is challenging and has enabled me to develop new skills.”

Jack initially began working for Preston North End as a Community Inclusion Officer, where he worked on a range of programmes including coaching women and girls in school, college, university and community settings, as well as walking football with older populations and he also delivers their Kicks programme which uses the power of football and the value of sports participation to help hard-to-reach youngsters in socially deprived areas. Jack’s hard work and dedication to his role meant he has been promoted to a managerial position within less than a year of being in post.

Experience gained with Everton the Community has ensured that I have developed important skills which I can use in my current field of work as a Community Inclusion Officer for a charitable football organisation.”

Overall, Jack feels that the experience he has gained from his degrees at Edge Hill and his involvement with Everton in the Community projects has allowed him to develop skills and qualities necessary for him to land himself a career within sports and physical activity, and he strongly recommends students to take the opportunity to get involved.

Tackling the Blues enables students to gain valuable experience in the current policy driven field of sport, physical activity and mental health. From my experience, Tackling the Blues has made a positive impact on the children involved in the programme. In a primary school I was working in, one child stated that it made them think differently about their mental health.”