Michael Hoskins, a 20-year-old with visual impairment caused by multiple brain tumours, has been working at the Wimbledon Championships for two years, directing spectators and helping them find food and tickets. He got the job through the 'Work at Wimbledon' scheme, which guarantees interviews for local young people.
Overcoming Barriers to Employment
"Two years ago I was asked if I wanted to work at Wimbledon and I couldn't believe it," Hoskins told MyLondon. "I said, 'me, can I? You mean paid work?' Some people doing interviews had decades of experience or had been studying law at university, so to get through felt incredible."
Since 2024, Hoskins has worked at information points during the tournament, directing spectators and answering questions. "A key question I get asked from tourists is, 'Where can I get strawberries and cream? Or, where can I get Pimm's?'" he said. "I just love the opportunity to meet people from all over the world."
Work at Wimbledon Scheme Expands
The scheme, launched in 2021 with 16 workers, now employs 207 people—20% of the entire workforce—when the tournament begins on June 29. It partners with charities and youth clubs in Merton and Wandsworth to remove barriers for young people.
Janaiya Hanson, 19, from Battersea, learned about the scheme through her boxing youth club. She worked in the museum shop last year and will work in the players' dressing rooms this year. "I didn't grow up knowing much about Wimbledon, which is why I like this scheme so much," she said. "None of my family were into tennis so I never knew just how important it was."
Paige Murphy, head of the Wimbledon Foundation, said the scheme's success exceeded expectations. "We have a lot of jobs available during the Championships but we weren't seeing a lot of local young people applying," she said. "We’ve really unlocked an opportunity that a lot of people in our community didn’t see as for them."
Impact and Future Plans
Former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, now Minister of State for Skills, visited the All England Lawn Tennis Club on June 24 to see how similar projects could be replicated. "One of the things that this scheme does is give young people the opportunity to try out work, and to do it, because it's Wimbledon, with really high standards," Smith said. "That gives people confidence and understanding about that work and gives them the name of Wimbledon on their CV for the future."
Hoskins, who took a break this year but hopes to return, called it "the dream first job."
