Job Title: Sports Team Lead
Accountable to: Operational Manager
About Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone:
Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone is a 21st century youth hub located at the heart of Blackburn and a dedicated site in Darwen, open to young people aged 5 to 25 years old, aiming to change the prospects offered to young people in the area. Our vision is to be at the heart of the community, collaborating to create a more cohesive and prosperous Blackburn and Darwen.
We are one of the leading youth organisations in Blackburn, with a membership of over 2,500 young people. We are open 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year and offer over 40 different activities and opportunities in our open access youth club.
Context of Role:
Reporting to the Operational Manager you will be responsible for developing and delivering an exciting sports programme of activities which will engage young people aged 5 – 18 years old and those up to 25 years old with Special education needs and disabilities (SEND) at Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone. You will provide direct line management support, coaching and development for sessional Sports workers and volunteers. You will lead the day-to-day operation and strategic development of the Sports Department, creating clear participation and progression pathways through the Youth Zone's Next Level Sports model. This includes overseeing opportunities for young people to engage at Try, Train, Team and Teach levels, developing representative teams, creating links to community clubs and talent pathways, and supporting young people to progress into leadership, volunteering and coaching opportunities.
Responsibilities:
- To plan, coordinate and deliver a comprehensive varied sports programme that enables young people aged 5 to 18 to engage in sport at a ‘try, train and team’ level.
- To design, implement and continually review sports development pathways that support young people from first participation through to competition, leadership, volunteering, coaching and community club engagement.
- To ensure that the sports programme is high quality and engaging and meets the needs and interests of the young people.
- Ensure the sports programme is developmental building confidence, social skills, and improving health and overall well-being and identifying, supporting and developing talented young people.
- To motivate, encourage and support young people to participate fully in sports sessions
- To manage, support, train and maintain a good team of sports coaches consisting of staff and volunteers, coaching them to achieve their full potential within their given roles and monitoring their ability as sports coaches.
- To coordinate sessional staffing requirements for sports activities in sessions within agreed budgets.
- To identify during sessions any relevant issues or areas of development for young people and ensure that these are targeted in the sports programme delivery.
- Ensure the participation of young people and that their ideas contribute fully in the planning, delivery and evaluation of sessions, projects and activities.
- To lead on developing opportunities for young people through competitions/fixtures, locally and regionally, via Inter-youth (Onside Network), BWD strategic alliance partners or local sports clubs so young people participate in regular competition.
- To establish, develop and manage Youth Zone representative teams, creating regular opportunities for training, competition and progression.
- Supporting those marginalised and with barriers to participation by creating meaningful pathways and need specific sports and activity sessions.
- To maintain a comprehensive and detailed up-to-date inventory of all equipment owned and/or used by the department.
- To go out into the community to market the Youth Zone and attract young people.
- To monitor, record and evaluate the sports programme and provide reports and information as required in order to ensure a consistently high-quality youth work provision and demonstrate the impact of the Youth Zone.
- To ensure that staff, volunteers and young people comply with health and safety procedures and Safeguarding procedures at all times.
- To be aware of and adhere to Youth Zone policies and procedures.
- To manage and monitor the budget allocated to the sports programme effectively and efficiently to maximise the benefits to young people.
- To deal with any problems during Youth Zone sessions.
- To network appropriately with local sports clubs and community providers to develop joint working programmes and maximise opportunities for young people.
- Build partnerships to enrich the programme
- Be a representative at forums in line with programmes related to sports
- To be an active member of the team and deliver a focused, measurable contribution to the Youth Zone’s overall strategic plan operating in line with our values and principles.
- To take a creative and enthusiastic approach to make Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone a valued facility in the town and a leader in its field.
- To build a Sports related accreditation portfolio.
General Requirements
- Always seek to continuously improve so that the highest quality standards are achieved
- Participate positively in internal/external meetings and training as required
- Positively participate in one to ones and appraisals
- Ensure that all relevant policies, procedures and working practices are adhered to at all times
- Work in accordance with Blackburn Youth Zone’s culture, values, aims and objectives
- Act as a positive ambassador for BYZ at all times
- Positively contribute to Blackburn Youth Zone’s team working environment, taking ownership of issues and supporting colleagues where appropriate
- Be flexible and willing to undertake any other duties that may be reasonably be required
Measurable Outputs:
- Membership including session attendance, retention and membership growth for young people aged 5 to 18.
- Participation, retention and progression through Try, Train, Team and Teach pathways, including movement into representative teams, leadership roles, volunteering, coaching and external club opportunities.
- Outcomes and achievements for young people.
- Employee performance as per the supervision and agreed objectives you set as their line manager.
- Ability to meet and exceed relative grant and trust conditions.
Person Specification:
Essential Experience:
- Extensive experience of delivering sporting activities to young people
- Knowledge and understanding of how to develop and deliver a high quality and varied sports programme
- Experience of youth work
- Proven experience of engaging vulnerable, disengaged or hard to reach young people in sports activities
- Sound knowledge of sports qualifications and the quality standards expected for the successful delivery of accredited sports activities
- Knowledge of the issues affecting young people and an ability to work with challenging behaviour and complex needs.
Desirable Experience:
- Experience of managing a staff team including volunteers
Skills/Abilities:
- Good team worker and leader with an ability to motivate and engage staff, volunteers and young people through sessional work
- Confident in managing a group of children and young people
- Ability to identify and challenge discrimination and discriminatory behaviour, taking appropriate action as necessary
- Excellent communication skills
- Basic skills in officiating major sports
- Ability to plan and coordinate activity working within defined resources effectively multitasking
- Ability to monitor and evaluate sessions and work flexibly to change delivery during session in required
- IT literate
Knowledge:
- Knowledge of methods of organising and scheduling groups into teams and leagues for various sports activities.
- Sound knowledge of sports qualifications and the quality standards expected for the successful delivery of accredited sports activities
- Understanding of issues affecting young people’s lives
- Strong commitment to young people and ability to engage and build positive relationships with all young people including disengaged and disadvantaged young people, helping them to meet their needs physically, emotionally and socially.
- Knowledge of Health and Safety, Diversity Awareness and Safeguarding best practice and how these relate to children and young people within a Youth Zone setting
Desirable:
- Ability to work creatively with young people to meet their developmental needs
- Understanding of the principles of good youth work practice and of national and local initiatives that influence youth and sports provision
Personal Attributes:
- Excellent personal organisational/time management skills
- Positive and enthusiastic
- Punctual and reliable
- Commitment to personal and professional development
- Able to work a minimum of 4 evenings per week, 3 during the week and 1 weekend day.
Working hours
This role is a full time role working 37.5 hours per week which requires a flexible working pattern and you will be expected to work evenings and weekends. You will also be expected to travel to different venues/locations.
Remuneration package
Salary: Band D £27,030 to £32,130 (depending on experience)
Holidays: 33 days (pro rata for part time) inclusive of 8 Bank Holidays
Pension: Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone operates a workplace pension scheme with Royal London for auto-enrolment purposes. You will contribute 5% of your gross earnings whilst the Youth Zone will contribute 3%. If you meet the criteria you will be auto-enrolled into the scheme within 3 months of commencement of your employment although you have the option to opt-out if you so wish.
Other Benefits
- Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 Support and Advice
- FairQuid (Financial Wellbeing Support)
- Think Therapy (Mental Health Support)
- Enhanced Maternity/Paternity/Adoption Pay
- Birthday leave
Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups. This post is subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records through an enhanced DBS check and completion of appropriate vetting checks. We promote safer working practice across our Youth Zone and all successful employees and volunteers will be expected to share this commitment.
Application Process
Please email an expression of interest, no longer then 2 pages long to [email protected], setting out your experience reasons for applying for this position.
Last Updated: June 2026
Pay: £27,030.00-£32,130.00 per year
Work Location: In person
