We are keen to share the stories and celebrate the successes of residents in Essex who are bringing their communities together through physical activity. One amazing woman who is doing just this is Angel Cogger, a volunteer with Achieve Thrive Flourish (ATF).
Angel began volunteering with ATF last summer during the 6 week holiday, after her four children had been attending their holiday sessions. At ATF clubs her sons were able to come together with other youngsters and enjoy activities such as football and boxing – sports that may otherwise be rather costly for the family. When we caught up with Angel she emphasised the impact ATF’s sessions had in bringing her family back together and helping them re-build their relationships. She now wants nothing more than to help other families do the same!
“The reason I wanted to volunteer and help ATF is because I see what they’ve done for my family. During Covid especially, my family started to fall apart and we weren’t coping very well. And then they brought my family back together and really helped us build our relationship back together. And I wanted to do that for other families, which is what we’re doing. So, every time I go out into the community, it’s about building families and relationships back, with parents and children. And so going onto this year, I now do a little bit of everything and I’m heading towards getting some coaching qualifications!”
“I believe that sport, and mealtimes and food, is a very powerful way of bringing families and people together and building community friendships. When the families go home with a great big smile on their face there is nothing better, and then when they come back and they can’t wait to do another session with us, that is the biggest reward!”
Angel also went onto say: “I feel like I’ve become so much more confident in myself, as I was never very confident. And now I feel like I’m building the communities confidence as well, and helping people realise they are capable. I want young people to feel confident in themselves. I’ve got a big thing, especially with teenage girls at the moment – it’s very difficult for them in this day and age, but I want them to be children, be fun, not worry about what anyone thinks, and just be full of confidence, and get out there and do whatever it is that they love to do.”
We wish Angel all the best in achieving her coaching qualifications, and we can’t wait to catch up with her during Essex ActivAte X ATF holiday clubs throughout 2022 to see how her journey continues.
Click here to find out more about our Essex ActivAte programme and find out if your children are eligible for free holiday clubs.
