In September, Alex and Sunil were invited to take part in a promotional film highlighting Alex’s work for PACE during his internship, as part of the “Time to Shine” programme.

Funded by The Rank Foundation and the Jack Petchey Foundation, the Time to Shine internship was set up in 2008 following the negative impact the recession was having on charities. In the nine years since the Time to Shine internship has been running they have helped over hundred charities in the UK. Hundreds of charities applied for the internship and PACE was one of thirty charities to be selected

The internship enabled PACE to provide a clear set of coaching responsibilities within a structured working environment for a successful intern. The development of our workforce has allowed our services to grow, reaching a larger number of people in schools and day-centres, as well as delivering more sports days and boccia competitions.

As a  young person with a disability who has enjoyed boccia success at National level, Alex has faced numerous barriers on his journey, with his experiences resonating with many of the people that have worked with him. By delivering assemblies and attending transition events, Alex has been able to share his experiences and how he has overcome obstacles with other young people.

Additionally, the provision of media and promotional materials has led to developments in the way PACE communicates with its members, with Alex providing blog entries, news articles, social media posts and match reports.

With the support from Time to Shine PACE were able to send Alex on different courses throughout the year to help progress his development as a coach. This is set to continue in the New Year when Alex is hoping to complete his Boccia level 2 in coaching qualifications.

This was a great opportunity to show the amazing work that PACE has achieved since we were formed in 2004. Thank you to everyone who appeared in the film and to Time to Shine, The Rank Foundation and The Jack Petchey Foundation for this amazing opportunity.

You can watch the film by clicking the here.