The story behind Sports Coaching Group: How a love of sport built a leading sports and education company which celebrates its 15th birthday this year

Cheshire-based company Sports Coaching Group is celebrating 15 years in business this year.

The firm was formed in 2011 and has grown from a two-man operation, into Sports Coaching Group, a community-based organisation employing more than 80 coaches and working with over 100 schools across Cheshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Shropshire.

The journey has gone from the original staff sharing a love of sport into a highly-respected coaching enterprise, rooted in a belief that sport can transform lives.

In those early days, the staff delivered physical education sessions, after-school clubs and holiday programmes with little more than commitment and ambition.

The focus, making sport accessible, fun and meaningful for every child they worked with.

Today, that vision remains at the heart of Sports Coaching Group's mission as it celebrates its 15th birthday.

Now part of the EMPHASIS Community Interest Company (CIC), the organisation delivers a wider range of services that go far beyond sports coaching.

These include breakfast, lunch and after-school clubs, bespoke PE provision, swimming lessons through the Pools to YOU programme, holiday clubs, alternative education provision, lesson observations, cover supervision, sports days and delivering low impact sessions.

The Pools to YOU initiative, for example, removes travel barriers by bringing swimming lessons directly into primary schools, so far, thousands of children have benefited from high-quality aquatic instruction without leaving their school site.

During the years the organisation has expanded with the development of sister companies that complement and extend the original vision:

These are:

•          Sportscape Education: A partner and sister company under the EMPHASIS umbrella, offering apprenticeships and education programmes designed to develop future coaches and support teaching staff in sport and education;

•          SportsZone, a vibrant Sandbach venue offering multi-activity experiences such as golf sims, darts, pool, live TV sport, which enhances the group's community engagement and provides additional active leisure options for families and young people. Not only is it a social venue, but it opens up as a holiday venue for teens and during the day some alternative education provision;

•          ScrubsUK.com, part of the Uniform Group, supplies premium healthcare workwear that resonates with professionalism and comfort;

•          TeamwearUK, and UniformsUK, also under the Uniform Group, supporting schools, clubs and organisations with high-quality teamwear and uniform.

These connected ventures reflect a shared ethos, supporting people through sport, education, wellbeing and professional development.

It's because of this growth that the firm had to move from its base in Bradwall Road, Sandbach, to its premises on the Brookes Lane Industrial Estate, in Middlewich.

Here not only are the administrative offices of the firm, but also there's a pool for swimming lessons which is not only available for individual lessons and schools but also private hire.

Despite considerable growth since 2011, the original values remain unchanged.

Charlie Chorlton, Commercial Director of the company, said: "When the company started out, just a couple of members of staff were delivering sessions in schools because they loved sport and wanted young people to enjoy it the same way we did.

"They never imagined it would grow into an organisation working with so many schools and families.

"The growth has been incredible, but what's most important is that the purpose hasn't changed. It's still about giving children opportunities, supporting schools and creating positive experiences through sport.

"Being part of the EMPHASIS Community Interest Company has allowed the firm to connect sport, education and community in a much stronger way. Each part of the group supports the others, but they all share the same values.

"Through Sportscape Education we're helping develop the next generation of coaches and educators. Many of the people coming through our programmes will go on to work in schools and communities just like we did when we first started.

"SportsZone is another way of bringing people together. Whether it's families enjoying activities, friends watching live sport or young people attending holiday sessions, it's about creating a space where sport and community meet.

"Everything that has been built has grown from a simple belief that sport can change lives. Fifteen years later, that belief still drives everything we do."

 It's this philosophy that continues to define the company's impact across communities.

From school hallways to holiday clubs and swimming programmes, the company now reaches thousands of young people each year, a testament to what can grow from passion and a commitment to making a difference.

Why not take a look at the Sports Coaching Group website or contact them here to find out more?

Sandbach Nub News is proud that Sports Coaching Group is the latest sponsor of our news service.    

It is thanks to the generosity of organisations like Sports Coaching Group that we can continue our mission to revive local news, both in Sandbach and across the UK. 

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