20 Years

Gavin Coe

Coe 20 Years

Gavin started working at the Foundation on the 3^rd of September 2002 as a Youth Training Scheme Apprentice after seeing an advert in local newspaper.

Since then, Gav has been an Assistant Football Community Officer, Football Community Officer, Kicks Development Officer, Partnership Development Manager, Operations Manager, and for the past 11 years, has held the position of Head of Operations and Business Development.

When asked what he’s proudest of during his time with the Foundation, Gav said:

“Seeing the journey of where I started 20 years ago, when there was eleven full-time staff, compared to the size of the operation we have now and how much impact we have across the county.

“That’s probably the most rewarding thing, seeing all that growth over those number of years and knowing that I played a part in it.”

While we are using this time to acknowledge and thank Gav for his service, he too had thanks to give, for one of his long-standing colleagues in particular.

“I’d like to thank Mr. Thornton. He gave me my first chance on £50 per-week, and it was his job to teach me through the apprenticeship and what was expected. I’d like to thank him for putting up with a lot of stuff I’ve put him through!”

20 years is a long time, so to spend that in one place of work is truly indicative of the progression of the company and genuine enjoyment of the work and workplace.

“20 years isn’t quite normal”, Gav said.

“The reason I’ve stayed for so long is because the Foundation has matched my ambition every step of the way, I haven’t stayed here because it’s easy.

“This is something to be proud of. The work the Foundation does is essential to Norfolk.

“Hopefully through the rise of The Nest people have been able to see the contribution that we make and what we do and hopefully that means more people will want to come and work for us and benefit from the projects that we run.”

Stevie Bramble

Bramble 20

Stevie joined the Foundation on the same day as Gavin, starting off as a Youth Training Scheme Coach, supported by the Football League. Like a lot of the students he helps today, Stevie was unsure what to do upon finishing his A-Level exams, but saw the role advertised in a match day programme.

“Following the Apprenticeship, I was lucky enough to be converted into a full time coach, delivering free sessions in schools and after school clubs”, said Stevie.

“I was also able to pursue my passion at the time, goalkeeping, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see some of the players I worked with progress further, such as Angus Gunn and Remi Matthews.”

When asked what he’s been most proud of during his time at the Foundation, Stevie said:

“From a professional point of view, it’s when we launched our Football and Education programme, and completely out of the blue, introduced Adam Drury to them as their lead coach. To keep that quiet and then pull it out the bag was a pretty special moment seeing the shock on people’s faces.”

The personal side of the role is also something Stevie highlighted as a part he truly values.

“There’s been so many individuals throughout the 20 years that you now see out and about and thank you for what you did for them, such as going on to university where that previously may not have been an aspiration, or on scholarships in America when they wouldn’t have dreamed of it before.

“There’s definitely a few individuals where I can say I played perhaps a small part in where they managed to get to and that feels massive.”

Longevity is a word that feels synonymous with the Foundation at times. Stevie credits the key to his longevity to the flexibility and ever-changing nature of his work.

“People sometimes ask how I’ve done the same job for 20 years, my response is that I probably haven’t done the same job for a week here! Having the flexibility and freedom to pursue passion projects is so important and I feel all staff have that ability.”

So what does the Foundation mean to Stevie Bramble?

“It’s a lifestyle. Having an environment where you know you can make a difference and you always wake up wanting to go to work is massive. Having a job where you can make an impact on people and perhaps give someone an opportunity or a bit of self-belief when perhaps they’re not getting it from anywhere else.

“Ultimately it’s the reward of seeing others benefit. We have high-profile stories but the ones that give me the most reward are the ones that go under the radar.”

15 Years

Toby Nickerson

Toby has been with the foundation for a self-proclaimed “15 + 2 years”, working for a couple of years part-time before taking a permanent role.

“Stevie helped me get through the door – I was actually travelling from uni after a night out on a Wednesday to do after-school clubs on a Thursday, but I did that because I wanted to get in the door.”

Impressing with his enthusiasm to work, Toby eventually started full time as a coach, working in schools and learning from his peers.

Like Stevie and Gav, 15 years of service is an incredible tenure in one place of work, and is a fine indicator of staff retention at the Foundation. Toby summarised what has kept him here for so long.

“I think the fun that I have and the people I’ve met along the way are some of my best friends, away from work as well which adds so much to why we’re here.

“I also think what we have to realise – we’re in a fantastic, privileged position which we can easily forget. Ultimately, the giving back outweighs most of what we do – that’s what we’re in it for”.

What does the Foundation mean to Toby?

“It means life… 15 years is a long time, most of my adult life, I’ve been here.

“I’ve hit hurdles along the way, of course, but I’ve built a family here and it’d be really odd if the Foundation wasn’t a part of it. The Foundation is a very big chunk of who I am, how I’ve grown up and how I’ve developed as a person.”