Can you remember when you was a teenager, young adult, Aged 16 - 25? Can you remember the pressures you faced? Going through the process of understanding yourself. Questioning life, having dreams & goals? Now include being homeless.

More young people are growing up homeless in a society that puts enormous amounts of pressure on them which has a negative impact on their self-development. Examples of these pressures can include - Homelessness, neglect, social exclusion, bullying, stresses from education, body image, poverty, inequality, sexual pressures & an online culture that shows them 'perfection'.

My name is Shaquille (Shaq) Porteous & I have the privilege to work for the YMCA as the Hostel Youth Sports Coordinator. I am also a Personal Coach/Trainer & I am blessed to be in the positions I am to help influence positive decision making & changes in the life’s of young people. I feel strongly that there is more that needs to be done in tackling this stigma of increasing homelessness & young peoples mental health. Their is a lack of understanding/support to help tackle the issues all young people face during the early stages of their development & adolescence life’s especially those with added pressures & circumstances.

A big part of my role, is being responsible for the coordinating & the delivery of our Get Out Get Active Programme. Our programme consists of periodised coached group sport sessions designed to develop young people & vulnerable adults. Providing them with a safe environment that promotes their personal, social & emotional development by coached sports & exercise sessions that builds strengths, values, develops their commitment to service, promotes their motivation to learn & to understand themselves.

I use a creative & positive approach when coordinating the programme to ensure the sessions are structured & planned to enable a progressive feel that will enable the young people I work with the opportunity to express themselves as individuals in a sporting environment through group sport sessions & activities. The programme has proven to be very successful with the young people that get involved in the program returning weekly, providing positive feedback & enjoying themselves.

We have had young people that have engaged in the Get Out Get Active programme go onto finding work, return to education & take major positive steps forward with their lives! YES TEAM, you’ve made all involved very proud 💚.

I will be running the Robin Hood Half Marathon - Nottingham (Sunday 25th September 2022) for the young people I work directly with at our YMCA Young People Centre Mansfield  & all of the residents to help raise funds to help provide additional support & funding for resources. Following my success in the completion of my first Half marathon (Edinburgh Half Marathon) & all the support I received running for the young people at the Newark Emmaus Trust, I now have the drive to continue the journey of spreading awareness of the work I do & how that helps with the wellbeing both physically & mentally of the young people I am blessed to support.

I am traditionally not a runner, equally I have a new found love for running, the benefits it has not only on my fitness & health, equally on my mental wellbeing. For me this is yet another big challenge, one I am very excited by. As much as I’m out of my comfort zone again with the upcoming event, there are too many young people that are continually taken out of their comfort zone through no choice of their own & I’m doing this for them.

My heart goes out to all the young people living in our society struggling with their mental health & to the young people that are disadvantaged during the process of adolescence. Every young person deserves the opportunity to be successful, be set up for success & have the foundations in place to enjoy life. 

I firmly believe that everyone has a personality that makes them unique, a voice that should be heard & feelings that should be acknowledged.

Any form of a donation will help support YMCA Robin Hood Group’s mission - “to develop the mind, body & spirit of individuals, families & communities, & improve health & wellbeing for all”.

Main sponsors & supporters - 

@TRIB3NOTTINGHAM 

@ORIGINALMOVEMENT 

@NOTTSYMCA

HUGE thank you to @TRIB3NOTTINGHAM an amazing brand that I represent & work for. I am excited & blessed to be a coach for @TRIB3NOTTINGHAM, the ultimate group three-zoned HIIT workout taking Nottingham by storm! I am very grateful to my store/team for backing the fundraising campaign & spreading awareness of the work I do at the YMCA Robin Hood Group.

Another HUGE thank you to @ORIGINALMOVEMENT Nottingham’s premier personal training & therapy centre catering for all needs. From professional athletes to complete novices. Personal training, physiotherapy, shockwave therapy, sports massage & chiropractor services. I am blessed to be part of our amazing team & truly grateful for the support @ORIGINALMOVEMENT are giving me leading up to event day.

YMCA Robin Hood Group (@NOTTSYMCA) are supporting me both internally & externally with the fundraising campaign. I’m feeling the love from the team & I’m proud to have been given the opportunity originally to represent an organisation thats values are perfectly aligned with mine. Thanks to the wider team for all the continued support. 

THIS IS MY MISSION - DONATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BE RECEIVED TILL THE 27TH SEPTEMBER (2 DAYS POST EVENT)

Contact details & social media pages for all involved in the fundraising campaign - 

Shaquille Porteous 

Email: shaquille.porteous@nottsymca.org

Instagram: @shaqporteous

LinkedInn: Shaquille Porteous

Facebook: Shaqporteous fitness.health

@NOTTSYMCA

Website: https://www.nottsymca.com

Instagram: @nottsymca

LinkedInn: YMCA Robin Hood Group

Facebook: YMCA Greater Nottingham

Twitter: @NottsYMCA

@TRIB3NOTTINGHAM -

Website - https://trib3.co.uk/promo/nottingham

Instagram - @trib3nottingham

@ORIGINALMOVEMENT - 

Website: https://originalmovement.co.uk

Instagram: om_nottingham

Facebook: OriginalMovement

Email: enquiries@originalmovement.co.uk

(Follow the journey to the event with myself (Shaquille Porteous), @nottsymca,  @trib3nottingham, @originalmovement, via posts, content, video & picture updates).

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity (YMCA Robin Hood Group). So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

A massive thank you for taking the time to read to the end. That in itself means a lot myself, the young people & the YMCA Robin Hood Group. If you could share the page, get involved & others involved will be a massive support. It will go along way in directly changing the life’s of some real amazing young individuals that deserve the world.

Shaquille Porteous.