LSSP awarded Charity of the Year donation thanks to content creator apprentice

Liverpool School Sports Partnership (LSSP) was recently awarded Charity of the Year and a £2,500 donation thanks to an entry created by its hardworking content creator apprentice. The awards were organised by The JGA Group.

Since 2000, LSSP has been supporting PE, physical activity, and school sport across Liverpool. As a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), LSSP is committed to providing outstanding support to schools in the area by promoting, developing, and enhancing PE, school sport, and life-long habits.

The organisation, driven by its charitable mission, aims to help children and young people develop their physical capabilities while instilling the benefits of being habitually active, ultimately guiding them toward becoming mature and responsible members of society.

When The JGA Group, an apprenticeship provider, asked its apprentices to recommend a charity of the year, Nathan Matthews was eager to nominate LSSP and share the incredible work the organisation is doing to support young people across Liverpool.

An enthusiastic content creator, Nathan, felt that his employer deserved to win.

Nathan worked extremely hard to pitch LSSP, creating a four-and-a-half-minute submission video from scratch. The highly engaging video consisted of interview-style clips of key figures like James McGinn, partnership manager at LSSP, school sports specialists, and other apprentices, speaking about their own roles and the real impact of the organisation.

The video also offered a glimpse into the charity’s activities in schools, showcasing children being active and having lots of fun, and information about what the donation money would be used for.

Nathan himself appeared in the video, speaking with confidence and complete passion about the work of LSSP and why he personally believes it is the Charity of the Year.

The informative and uplifting video caught the attention of The JGA Group and won first place, meaning that LSSP received a £2,500 donation in addition to other fundraising activities set to take place throughout 2025.

Richard Goodwin, managing director of The JGA Group, said: “We were delighted for Nathan and LSSP to win the Charity of the Year pitch both because it shows Nathan’s rapid development on the apprenticeship and because LSSP is a great cause which aligns with JGA’s own values.”

Now, LSSP can further enhance the programmes that it delivers to schools around the city and focus more on targeting those in need, including developing opportunities for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), making sports more accessible to them.

The donation will also help strengthen the charity’s apprenticeship schemes and its ‘I Am’ initiative, with the goal of empowering young people with valuable career skills for the future and reducing local youth-related crimes in the process.

About his submission and the award, Nathan Matthews commented: “I had never heard of LSSP before, but since I started working with them, I’ve seen first-hand the tremendous impact they have in supporting and developing young people. I was absolutely delighted when my submission won The JGA Charity of the Year award. It highlights the incredible efforts of LSSP in making a difference in young people’s lives.”

Many people, within and outside of LSSP, will feel the positive impact of Nathan’s award-winning entry.

James McGinn added: “I’m incredibly proud of the remarkable impact Nathan has made in such a short period of time. His video submission for The JGA Charity of the Year captures the essence of the work LSSP does in collaboration with schools to support young people in being healthy, happy, and active. Nathan’s dedication and passion shine through, and his efforts are greatly appreciated.”