It is impossible not to be inspired by Jen Harden.
Jen is Everton in the Community’s Youth Inclusion Manager and, last week, she became the recipient of the ‘Community Captain’ award, as part of the Premier League’s ‘More Than A Game Campaign’. The award is there to recognise an individual who has made a positive difference in their community - but that only tells part of Jen’s story.
She began working for EitC in 2013, initially part-time alongside a full-time role she had elsewhere, on our PL Kicks Programme. The effort and full-throttle approach she had with us from day one was incredible. She is a massive Evertonian, she loves Everton and I think that added to the passion she had for the role.
Jen eventually joined us as a full-time member of staff and has gone from strength-to-strength since then. Her commitment and passion continues to shine through every day.
Our youth support programmes use the power of sport to support young people by engaging them in positive activities whilst steering them away from negative influences and provides early intervention to prevent problems from occurring or addresses them when they do. The programmes combine football and sports sessions with workshops covering a wide range of topics including healthy lifestyles and employability and the dangers of gang violence, drugs and alcohol. In the last 12 months alone, Everton in the Community has engaged with more than 1,800 young people.
I work closely with Jen because she is in my team. She is one of the managers and she has expanded her team so she now manages around 10 members of staff herself. I love working with her. She is never afraid to drive projects forward, try new things and make positive changes. So many people have benefited from her work.
I think one of her best skills is the way she can connect with people and get the best out of them, whether that be members of staff, key partners or the participants we work with.
She always sets such a good example and truly embodies the Everton values.
She is always thinking about the charity and the Club - and how we can use the power of the badge, which she is so protective of, to help as many people as possible. Not only that, she makes sure those around her live those values, too.
On a personal level, she makes people feel welcome when they enter one of our sites, whether that be an office, the Hub, the stadium… People immediately feel at ease and at home. That feeling of being a family is a big part of what we’re about as a charity and as a Club and Jen helps nurture that atmosphere every single day.
Jen had a personal matter a few months ago and I thought she would be off work for a long period, but I think she’s used her work to help her get through it. She just wants to do good and she achieves that with the charity. It’s given her even more fuel, if anything, which is incredibly admirable.
There is no doubt Blue blood flows through her veins. We are extremely proud of her.
By Lara King, Director of Youth and Sport at Everton in the Community
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