The Nick Matthew Foundation is harnessing the power of squash to make a profound impact on young people with special needs — and the three-time world champion says this is just the beginning.
Matthew, coach Neil Guirey and former England Squash Operations Director Jim Lord launched the Foundation six months ago.
The first of what are many planned programmes engages students from Talbot Specialist School in Sheffield, who have a range of special needs and physical conditions.
Matthew, Guirey and the Foundation's coaching team deliver simple skill-based activities on court including the highly popular InteractiveSquash target games. These develop children's skills and confidence, both on and off court.
Thanks to funding from The Scarborough Group (the former owners of Sheffield United who are long-term backers of squash in Yorkshire), support from Dunlop and England Squash and a partnership with Abbeydale Sports Club, the project began in earnest earlier this year.
Joining a session at Abbeydale, Squash Player was told by school staff that the impact on pupils extends way beyond simply learning how to hit a ball.
"It doesn't just give them squash skills, this project has been absolutely incredible for their confidence, self-esteem, social skills and breaking down barriers," said Mazher Hussain, teacher at Talbot Specialist School.
"For mainstream pupils, what we're seeing on the court looks like small stepping stones, but for these kids, these are big strides they're making here."
One of the key elements of the programme is that it forms part of the pupils' Duke of Edinburgh bronze award. This offers them a tangible reward and cause for celebration at the end of the project.
Mark Dolan, Assistant Head at Talbot School, said: "For kids with autism, any change to their routine is very difficult. Coming here and experiencing loud noises and echoes, isn't easy for a child who struggles with sensory processing.
"With that in mind, seeing them thriving like this is huge. Some kids turned up with ear defenders, but after a few weeks those have come off. We're breaking down barriers all the time. It's just wonderful to see.
"A lot of our families struggle financially. They just wouldn't be able to access squash. Most of these students wouldn't have this opportunity without the Foundation and the funding they've received."
For Matthew and Guirey, setting up the Foundation has been cathartic after a recent split with Hallamshire Tennis & Squash Club in Sheffield.
Hallamshire was Matthew's boyhood club. He represented it in various guises for 35 years, its showcourt bears his name and his Commonwealth Games medals are part of a display at the club celebrating his career. Guirey had coached there for 15 years.
Both were jettisoned in January when, on the recommendation of LTA-approved advisors, Hallamshire decided to bring coaching provision in-house.
"It's still a bit raw, but the timing of the Foundation has been a nice coincidence. It's like a fresh start," said triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist Matthew.
"Whilst there was a lot of anger and frustration at the way things panned out, the key focus now is not dwelling on it.
"We had great times there. The way it came to an end was unimaginable a few years ago. But life moves on, and the timing of the Foundation has been nice, with one thing finishing and another very positive thing starting."
Talbot Specialist School had been visiting Hallamshire for 10 years to work with Guirey, with hundreds of its pupils benefiting from squash over that period.
Guirey and Matthew also welcomed other schools, vulnerable adults, hosted schools festivals and England Squash's Squash from the Mosque programme.
Some of these projects, and more, will now become part of the Nick Matthew Foundation, with plans to expand to using other racket sports, engage schools beyond Sheffield, and work with different demographics. Conversations with a home for vulnerable young adults and a community centre in a socially deprived of Sheffield have already begun.
Guirey explained: "It made sense for us to start the Foundation with an established programme [with Talbot School], then we have a strong proof of concept and evidence that what we're doing works. This will enable us to jump-start more projects with other organisations."
Matthew added: "One of my frustrations historically is that funding only goes as far as six-week projects, which isn't really long enough to have a lasting effect.
"One of my priorities with the Foundation is to make things more secure, so they don't happen a few times and then disappear. It's about making our programmes sustainable and having a lasting impact.
"So we're starting with this one project to give a positive first impression. We'll get this one right, then we want to grow to a diverse set of programmes. I want this to be something that's still helping people a long time from now."
To find out more about the work the Nick Matthew foundation is doing, or if you are interested in partnering with them, contact:
info@nickmatthewfoundation.
