Career jump after more than two decades in a bid to bring sport to the next generation in Cheshire - 9th Mar 2011
A former Commercial Banking Director at a global institution has swapped his suit and tie for a tracksuit to take on a new challenge – to make sport his business in a bid to inspire today's children with a passion for fitness.
Father-of-three Ian Wilkes made the break after 25 years with banking giant RBS to turn his passion for sport into a career and take on his own business under the wing of the UK's biggest coaching company, Premier Sport.
Ian, who has been involved in coaching kids football and rugby in his spare time for many years, is already delivering three after school clubs at Wheelock Primary School near Sandbach, Wimboldsley Primary near Middlewich and St Mary's Catholic Primary near Crewe.
Premier Sport is dedicated to developing innovative sports coaching which will help children to live a healthy, fit life, and successfully delivers coaching to more than 125,000 children every week.
The company is backed by big-named sporting ambassadors including rugby legend Lawrence Dallaglio, Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew and former rugby league champion Paul Sculthorpe.
For Ian, 43, the move to set up his own business with Premier represents a huge career change and he has already undergone intensive coaching training.
"I always wanted to work for myself and combine that with my passion for sport," he said.
"Premier's track record in offering sport in primary schools is second to none, and that and my passion to get involved made me think again, and make the jump."
Ian, from Chelford, will be working across the Crewe, Northwich, Winsford, Nantwich, Sandbach, Congleton and Middlewich areas, offering PE coaching both in and out of school hours as well as Chewits holiday camps, breakfast, lunch and after school clubs with his team of coaches in up to 21 different sports under the Premier Sport umbrella.
As Scout Leader in Chelford, as well as a coach for Chelford Cubs and Holmes Chapel Hurricanes football teams, Ian has already spent a lot of his spare time working with children.
"I am very excited about this move," he said. "It really is turning a weekend passion into my career and now I want to help give as many local children as possible the opportunity to develop their sports skills and improve their health and fitness."