Michael de Giorgio

Brief description of achievement:

Michael de Giorgio is a co-founder of Greenhouse Schools Project (GSP). GSP is a charity that works to transform the lives of young people aged 11-16 by engaging them in sports and arts activities. GSP especially targets those who may not otherwise have access to these opportunities. Participation in GSP programmes gives young people a framework which many of them are lacking. It enables the coaches to mentor the young people and develop their life skills, giving them confidence and a more positive outlook for the future with the belief that they can achieve.

Background:

Access to sports and coaching facilities in the UK is severely restricted, particularly for those living in areas of social deprivation or with a special need, be it as a result of a physical or mental disability. In 2002, Michael, a keen sportsman himself, realised that private school facilities are under-used at weekends or during the holidays and decided to use his business skills to negotiate with schools for community use of these facilities. Michael had sold his own business and then launched GSP and its pilot scheme. The success of this pilot led Michael to seek further funding and school partnerships. GSP’s approach has evolved so that it now works within state schools employing coaches to work throughout the school day, before and after school, and also in the holidays.

Overall achievement:

GSP runs a range of sports and arts programmes, including football, basketball, table tennis, dance and drama, every day of the week for young people aged 11-16. Projects take place in more than 30 locations across London and two projects in Wales. GSP employs 37 full-time and 80 part-time coaches and more than 2,500 young people attend a week. Michael’s aim is not just to provide high quality sports, dance and drama to young people with limited opportunities to gain access to such coaching – his vision is broader than that. GSP aims to have an impact on these young people’s emotional, social and behavioural development, to encourage regular attendance and punctuality, to promote good behaviour and respect for others and to underline the importance of discipline and hard work reaching beyond the sport and classroom. GSP wants them to broaden their horizons beyond school, home and borough.

“What Greenhouse Schools Project is doing in Peckham, helping a locally trusted figure to work directly with children, should be recognised as the model to follow”

The Daily Telegraph – January 2007

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