Our history
It all began with a holiday programme for young people living on a local housing estate in the summer of 2002.
Greenhouse founder and CEO Michael de Giorgio wanted to give young people on a local council estate something positive to do during the school holidays. He persuaded top independent school, St Paul’s Boys’ in West London, to host a multisport programme in their outstanding sporting facilities.
Reaching out
The demand was high. For young people living in local housing estates, the opportunity to participate in sport activities in such superb facilities was a first. And so Greenhouse spread across London, reaching out to many young people living in ‘high-risk’ areas without access to quality facilities. Table tennis, basketball and dance became alternatives to multisports – activities that enabled us to engage larger groups of young people in limited spaces.
Working in schools
We knew that to have maximum impact we needed maximum engagement. This led to the development of our unique model, providing full-time sport and performing arts specialist coaches to state secondary schools and special schools in areas of deprivation. Greenhouse coaches engage young people in both group and one-to-one sessions that run before, during and after school, as well on weekends and school holidays too. That means young people have access to their role-model and mentor every day – right throughout the critical years of their teenage life.
And in community clubs
To enable us to spread our activities beyond the school gates and into the community, we welcomed two existing community clubs beneath our 'Greenhouse' – providing support, direction and helping them to grow. Greenhouse (formerly Table Tennis for Kids) and one of the UK’s largest competitive football clubs, Greenhouse Bethwin SEFC, now provide the model for our newer clubs – Greenhouse Progress (table tennis), Greenhouse Giants and Greenhouse Ballers (basketball).
'Sport has always been fundamental in my life. What it teaches you goes way beyond the playing field. At Greenhouse, we believe passionately in enriching the lives of young people. We want to teach them essential life skills so they can develop self-respect.'
Michael de Giorgio, Greenhouse CEO and founder
