Castle Bromwich Community Website

To mark 25th anniversary of National Volunteers week in June of this year, Castle Bromwich is preparing to celebrate the role of volunteers in the community and to raise awareness of how much volunteers contribute to our lives. Volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, young school boys clearing the graveyard, a young mother shopping for her elderly neighbour to business men who use their skills to put something back into the community. Paul Messenger is one such person. Terrie Knibb interviews Paul about why he spends so much of his time giving freely to the community coaching youngsters at Castle Bromwich tennis club.

Hello Paul, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
 
I moved to Castle Bromwich when I got married in 1975. I had a business here in the village for 24 years (selling and hiring out Surveying Equipment) and my two daughters went to school here and now live in the area. Many of my friends also live here, so Castle Bromwich has provided me with a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction over many years. I have always been "sport mad" and so have my two girls; (if you read this girls hope I haven't pushed you too hard.) Football, tennis and music have always figured highly in my life.  I am an avid Aston Villa supporter and 60s music is a big favourite of mine, having been in a band for 7 years from 1962 to 1969. I really enjoy today’s bands like The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand (That will surprise many of my youth tennis team, perhaps my "street cred" will soar if you print that.) 
 
How did you first become interested in tennis and how old were you?
 
I got into tennis almost by default really. My first love was and still is football. I captained the school team and played for the Birmingham Schoolboys Team at centre half. I'd had a trial for Walsall and was invited to go for training sessions at Fellows Park, but the week before the second trial I suffered a bad knee injury and was out of the game for several months. After that I was never the same at football, so concentrated more on non-contact sports like cricket and tried tennis. Got to quite a high standard at tennis over a two year period and at 16 years was playing for Little Aston Tennis Club and in the men’s team. Had some good senior players "coaching" me and I have been playing ever since.
 
What prompted you to become involved with volunteering?
 
Like I said earlier, I have taken a great deal of pleasure out of playing tennis and living in Castle Bromwich. It just seems really good opportunity to put something back into the community as a volunteer. Seeing the juniors going home smiling on Saturday morning, (well, most Saturdays anyway) gives a great deal of pleasure. This summer I hope to give my 6 year old granddaughter some lessons which should be fun and I cannot wait to see her in the junior sessions.
 
How long have you been volunteering?
 
I ran the junior cricket at Castle Bromwich Cricket Club for two years mainly because no one else volunteered. I really enjoyed that and get a great deal of satisfaction now seeing two or three players in the adults cricket team knowing they came through on that two year spell. I have been involved with tennis coaching for the past 12 years and really enjoy working with the local youngsters.
 
I know you are particularly keen on coaching and encouraging youth, can you tell us why? 
 
I get a great buzz from working with these youngsters and would much rather give up some time and help give these young people something to do especially as it gets them fit and out in the fresh air. Its all to easy to keep moaning at young people gathering on street corners and I don’t like to see them stuck in front of T.V. computers or Wii gadgets all the time. Even at 7 years old (which is usually when our juniors start) the sport gets them playing as a group and even at that tender age it brings out the natural leadership qualities. I know a lot of young people do not like to be organised, but for those that do it's well worth giving something back.
 
I know that you’ve been very successful in forging links with schools. Can you give anyone else wishing to form links any advice on how to go about it?
 
This is not difficult as most schools would encourage pupils to join local sports clubs.
As a tennis club we visit the local schools and make contact first with the School P.E. Co-ordinator. We have been well supported as a result of this and staff such as Tracy Phillips at St Mary and St. Margarets, Andy May at Castle Bromwich Juniors and Phil Nardiello at Park Hall have all played their part in our success story with our junior and youth members. We seem to get busier every year as a result of these good working relationships and of course our youngsters telling their mates.
 
What have you been up to recently?
 
Following our "Sport in the Community" project in October 2007, we set about renovating the clubroom in the pavilion. Our Cricket Team had been there since 1953 and the Tennis Club since 1992.
The clubroom was really tired and jaded. The carpet tiles were filthy and almost stuck to your shoes. The curtains and paintwork were awful really, so we set about a renovation
programme with our own funding and donations from members and sponsors. Local business chipped in with sponsorship and with several builders as members we could call on people who knew what they were doing. Plastering, painting, new floor, new doors, curtains and nearly new furniture, new lights, plastering the hallway and fitting new carpet tiles, all donated to enable the project to be completed ahead of schedule. Our members worked every weekend for three months to get this project ready for the new season. The focal point is our new licensed bar. We reckon we spent well over £25k of our own money doing this project and it has been such a success that now everyone seems to want to hire it.
 
Sounds like volunteering is your life.
 
Wouldn't say it's my life but do give around 15 hours a week during the months from April to October. I also like to spend a little of my spare time on my other passion Carp Fishing and every now and again I also see my wife. It’s really her that needs the awards not me.
 
Have you got any particular success stories to tell us about?
 
Well we’ve never had a Grand Slam winner as yet and regrettably Andy Murray wasn't coached at Castle Bromwich, but we live in hope. I do get a great deal of satisfaction when I see our ex youth team players moving up to the adults and some of our boys have gone on to successfully play in our men’s team and gain promotions in their league. Two years ago we won Division 3 of the Metropolitan League and went up as champions with by far the youngest team in the league that was really enjoyable. Some of our juniors are great little players, both boys and girls, so the future looks pretty good.
 
What kind of advice would you give to anyone considering volunteering?
 
Give it a real go if you have some spare time. When you get it right and working well it's
it really can be quite satisfying. Even when things are not quite right and it can be chaotic, you can still have a laugh at your own expense. That's what keeps me going.