Testimonials

It's trumpet blowing time! Well someone has to do it.

We have worked alongside a number of people on the projects and had some great laughs alongside all the hard work. So we thought we'd put a list together below of some of our favourite folk who LOVE all things Imagine and have been kind enough to give us their time and expertise right across the country.

Where we can, we try and bring in local and national celebrities and "those in the know." It's fair to say you never know who will pop into your workshop on any given day! We may just surprise you…

Joyce Thacker  – Strategic Director of Children & Young Peoples Services Rotherham

"The pupils had a fabulous time, their evaluations were superb of the programme and Clifton Learning Community is seeking ways to run a similar programme in 2011, such was the success in 2010. I commend IYC to anyone who is interested in commissioning them and I would be happy for them to contact me if they wish to discuss this testimonial further."

Tim Loughton MP  – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families

"I'm very pleased to hear of the success your organisation is having in supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged young people to re-engage them in education and the impressive impact this is having on their lives. I'm sure that Imagine You Can will want to continue its successful work to promote its services to local authorities and schools, demonstrating the impact you are having on pupils outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged young people."

Alan Dennington  – Kent Manager, Charlton Athletic Community Trust

"The young people from 8 Dartford Schools performed fearlessly in front of 22,000 people and showed what a success the project really is. The media and filming students also created and produced some excellent adverts for the national Make Space for Health programme in conjunction with the 4Children national charity as well as filming and producing a DVD of the whole project. The press conference they held, interviewing myself, was also of a genuinely professional standard and will certainly help significantly improve their communication skills and confidence levels.

All students and the club worked well together to produce a very impressive display and the opportunities given to the young people by Imagine You Can are fantastic. The way the project works around match day arrangements involving timings and liaising with club officials is remarkable and the entertainment built a great atmosphere for an important game. It's a pity the match result wasn't as positive as the performance. Charlton Athletic is proud to partner Imagine You Can and will work together again in the future."

Jonny Wilkinson MBE  – World Cup Winning England Rugby star

"I gave my full support to this superb project for our opening game of the season. I had a great time being interviewed by the Imagine You Can marketing pupils. Their interview techniques were excellent and the Pre Match Entertainment show for our opening game was a great spectacle. It was really uplifting running out to warm up and seeing the singers and dancers performing on the pitch. I would like to thank each and every one of them for creating a great atmosphere and look forward to working with the project again."

Mya, aged 15 – project student

"Imagine You Can has made me become a different person and more confident."

Mya's teacher has since informed us: "since the project, Mya's self esteem has greatly improved, as well as her enthusiasm and interest in school life. She has not been in trouble since taking part in the project and her attendance is excellent - 95%."

Parmjit Dhanda – Former Member of Parliament, Gloucester

"I spent a whole day with the pupils on the project in Gloucester and found it was an amazing experience for me and the pupils involved. I even passed the singing and dancing auditions for the 'Grease' show, or so they told me. The students were all from different schools in Gloucester and the way they all worked together as a team was very special. Each workshop i visited had a tremendous atmosphere and the work rate of each pupil was inspiring. We need to do more projects like this in Gloucester as it encourages schools to work together and breaks down barriers within our community."

Kevin Howie – Community Development Manager, Kingsholm C of E Primary School, Gloucester

"These projects have been terrific. Since first working with Dave 8 years ago I have always been impressed with the professionalism and energy that he and his team put into the projects. The vision and drive that is shown during the workshops and the shows is incredible, what better role models do the participants need? I know that the projects I have seen and worked on will be remembered by the youngsters as such positive opportunities for a very long time."

Michael Vaughan MBE – England's most successful ever cricket Captain

"I really enjoyed being involved with the Imagine You Can project, and it was great to be interviewed by such enthusiastic youngsters with intelligent questions. The Pre Match Entertainment they performed was fantastic at our Day Night game against Durham and the crowd really enjoyed the show."

Karl, 14 – project student

"Imagine You Can gave me everything I never had. I want to work for you when I finish school, it's mint!"

Karl's Deputy Head Teacher told us: "Karl has improved his attendance considerably since the project. His average attendance before the project was a very poor 50% and also he had an unfortunate tendency to truant from school during the day, whenever something happened to upset him. He now attends regularly and is resident in the music department most lunch times. Today he played the piano in the dining hall while the rest of pupils were eating, practising for his performance in the school Fame Academy. His form teacher is pleased with his progress, particularly as he now has the confidence to come to her with his problems, rather than walking straight out of school. Karl's average attendance is now 82.4% and he is a valued member of the pupil council in Lincoln House."

Sir Ian Botham – English Cricketing Legend and TV Commentator

"Projects like this are brilliant for our game and encourage youngsters to get involved with sport and performing arts from an early age. The talent on show at the game was superb, not only the performers but the camera and media crew. It's great to see so many young entertainers performing before the match and I give this my full support"

Gaynor Gibson – Development Director, Yeovil Federation.

"This was our first experience of working with Imagine You Can. The whole project was a great success and we shall certainly be considering extending the project in the future. It encouraged youngsters from 9 Federation primary and secondary schools to work together which can only be an advantage with transition as they move through the educational phases. The response from the crowd at the match was magnificent and made the performers feel so special."

Gerald, 13 – project student

"I absolutely loved it, such a buzz and I can't wait to do it again"

Gerald's teacher said: "Gerald was internally excluded from lessons during May 2009, before taking part in the project. He was often in trouble due to an inability to interact with other pupils in an acceptable way. Very poor social skills, low self confidence and low self esteem combined to cause him great difficulty in settling down to work in class. Gerald himself now says that he feels more self-confident and finds concentrating in class much easier. He has not been excluded since the project and his attendance has been excellent. Gerald's average attendance has gone up to 87.9%, (29% before taking part in Imagine You Can)."

Mick Hogan – Commercial Director Newcastle Falcons (now Sale Sharks CEO)

"Newcastle Falcons opened the season against the European Champions Leicester Tigers with the project, and what bigger stage for them to operate on. The students were truly brilliant and were a credit to themselves, their schools and indeed the club. The newspaper supplement they created was also of an exceptional standard"

Robbie Paul – Rugby League star

"I have been involved in all Bradford Bulls Imagine You Can projects and the talent this project has turned up has been amazing. I helped out in the marketing workshop and we have enjoyed every minute of it. I spend a full day with the singers and dancers when Sky Sports came in to do a feature at rehearsals and they were brilliant. I took a sneak look at the show whilst we were warming up on the pitch pre match and gave them a nod of approval"

Ron Harrison – Deputy Head & Director of Specialism, Eston Park School, Teesside

"The whole team of dance, singing, media and filming/editing teachers were superb with our pupils. Calming nerves when they first arrived at the auditions and forming them into a strong team who feel ownership of the project and care very much about its success. I would even go as far as to say that for many pupils the experience may well turn out to be life changing as they take the enterprising and performing skills that they have developed during the workshops and the final event and use them in the future careers.

The whole ethos of the project made such an impression on our school as a whole that the Head Teacher took the theme for his normal assemblies of the year, encouraging us all to imagine that we can do what we want to do and then go for it."

Nick Hall – Former Business Development Manager Blackburn Rovers

"The project gave an opportunity for the gifted children in Blackburn to mix with the academically less able children. They then had the experience of working in a professional environment and to perform a brilliant show in our stadium. The project also demonstrated the kind of professionalism and dedication that would be required should they wish to pursue it as a career in the future. More importantly it enabled a number of rival schools in Blackburn and Darwen to mix socially and academically and forge some great long lasting friendships."

Clare Howarth, 16 – Student, Blackburn with Darwen

"Imagine You Can has opened many opportunities for young people from 9 High Schools around Blackburn with Darwen. No one around the workshops can say that this hasn't been a really great opportunity for everyone involved. No one will ever be able to replace the feelings and the atmosphere in the Blackburn Rovers International Suite on the last day of the Imagine You Can Project.  This experience has been one with many twists and turns and it hasn't been easy. The Marketing and Media Team have had important deadlines to meet and events to arrange. The main success of the pupils in this workshop is to have arranged a successful press conference that attracted Granada Television. The vision of the young people around this workshop has fuelled the whole project."

Dr Ashok Kumar MP, RIP - Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland

Having had numerous reports from MP's in Parliament and having analysed the projects objectives and previous delivery I am very much looking forward to seeing Imagine You Can work with people in my constituency. In excess of a 1,000 young people from a wide range of backgrounds and communities will come together in 2009 and genuinely improve their individual and collective skills as well as making significant improvements on both a social, educational and personal level. I whole heartedly support the project in the Middlesbrough and East Cleveland community

Next: Project Aims