Harry Riste Email & Phone Number

After returning to play hockey at my childhood club I realised how unsustainable our communities can be. With no sinking fund, a condemned hockey pitch for the 1st XI and previously failed attempts to raise enough money to replace worn out facilities, I became frustrated with the committee and guardians of our thousand-member club at Taunton Vale.Help was required, so at 41 I volunteered for the first time (later becoming Chairman during the turnaround), and after many thousands of hours and countless sleepless nights, the clubs fortunes were reversed. I’m very proud of the sustainable legacy that was provided; as it was so much more than a pitch refurbishment because ‘Sustainable Project 1’ was a vision that became an inspiration for volunteers to step forward. It is not easy managing a community club, yet tens of thousands of people turn out on a weekly basis without regard for self to contribute with limited resources. GRP is an opportunity to provide support at scale, which is so thoroughly deserved, to these volunteers.‘Sustainable Project 1’ proved without doubt to me that with the right approach, a community organization can create a healthy sinking fund without dependence on grants. With my personal experience and several years researching community clubs it has become clear that the sector is very fragmented, lacks appropriate levels of support and is a far cry from the efficiency's you would expect in the modern corporate world. GRP is an opportunity for clubs to take control of their future and make volunteers roles easier which has proven to attract more volunteers. It is my aspiration after supporting many community organisations in the last three years to bring the lessons learnt and increase the efficiency of thousands of clubs across the UK.

Listed skills include Microsoft Office, Negotiation, Account Management, Product Development, and 12 others.