QPR staff member runs her own ‘Swaggerlicious’ organisation in partnership with Wingate & Finchley
Football is often spoken of as being a ‘universal language’, and Queens Park Rangers academy coach Manisha Tailor is working hard to ensure that is the case.
With help from Bostik Premier club Wingate & Finchley and through her own ‘Swaggerlicious’ organisation, Tailor is aiming to get people with learning difficulties or mental health issues and more females and people from BAME groups involved.
Mental health is an area particular close to the QPR academy coach’s heart, having been a carer for her twin brother through is own battle with depression.
And Tailor says those experiences have helped her in making Swaggerlicious successful in achieving its aims.
“The way in which the organisation is run is based on my own personal experiences,” she said.
“I trained as a teacher and qualified as a head teach, so that helps me strategically with Swaggerlicious.
“The skills I had from being a teacher have been transferred across and though I’m no expert in the field of mental health, having been a carer for my brother for the best part of 15 years has given me knowledge of that area.
“It was through liasing with service providers that I realised there was a lack of physical activity for those with mental health problems.
“That’s what inspired me to partner with Wingate and it’s part of the club’s work in community outreach.”
As well as turning Swaggerlicious into a success, Tailor is also involved in the youth set up with QPR as an academy coach.
With the Rs, Tailor works under the watchful eye of technical director Chris Ramsey, who gives Swaggerlicious his backing.
“I’m fortunate to work with Chris and he’s a big supporter of what I do with Swaggerlicious.
“He’s keen for me to take the lead on other projects and he is extremely supportive.
“The project might not be specific to QPR, but the club allows its staff to develop as people and that helps us develop as coaches too.”
* The FA is looking to shed light on women and girls’ football as part of its Gameplan for Growth — a pledge to double participation of women and girls in football by 2020.
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