Community Spotlight: Lauren Carey-Love thriving with Peterborough Shuttlers
Lauren Carey-Love never expected to find herself coaching badminton.
A full-time farrier by trade, the 39-year-old juggles work, admin and her own sporting commitments, yet also finds time to run the thriving junior set-up at Peterborough Badminton Academy.
For the past three years, she has dedicated countless hours to running Friday evening coaching sessions for junior players at a modest cost of £5.50 per session, whilst also setting up Wednesday sessions for home-educated students.
Those sessions started following an idea from a friend whose child was pulled out of school. She soon realised there were very few sporting opportunities for teenagers in Peterborough, so she created her own.
“There’s loads of sports for little kids in primary school, but not much for teenagers,” she says. “Ironically, my friend’s son never joined, but the group filled up anyway.
“It’s really warming. There’s a lot of complicated reasons why they’re all out of school. I just want them to learn a bit and have a good session in a group. And the parents are really happy that they’re able to function in a group because that’s normally what the big problems are at school. They’re the best behaved too.”
Before COVID, Lauren and her partner noticed the lack of junior badminton clubs in Peterborough. With his support, she took the initiative to build one from scratch, and it has since flourished.
Fittingly, badminton has played a huge role in their own story. The couple first met playing socially at the club. Now they are married and working together to grow the sport.
“The first year was quiet, probably because I didn’t know how to market anything,” she admits. “But now, people are telling their friends, and there’s a really big circulation. It’s mostly through referrals from parents, which is nice.
“We’re up to about 27 juniors on a Friday night now, and I’ve got about 10 to 12 in my home education group on a Wednesday afternoon as well.”
Lauren, who completed her coaching qualifications as a backup plan in case of injury in her day job, quickly found herself hooked.
“I did it selfishly at first, thinking I needed another income stream, but I really enjoy coaching now,” she says. “It’s becoming more of a part of my work life because it’s great fun.
“When they’re progressing – that makes it. And when a child struggles to hit anything, then suddenly can within a couple of sessions – they’re so pleased with themselves. That’s a real high point.
“One of the boys spent his birthday at our club night, which was such a compliment.”
The club has also started integrating juniors into the adult set-up, ensuring its long-term sustainability. Lauren is excited to see her efforts making a real impact, helping to bring a new generation of younger players into the club.
“Last night, we had eight under-18s playing with us. It’s definitely changing,” she says. “From a business point of view, if we don’t invite the youngsters in, the club won’t survive. We’ve got to keep them coming through. We’re really happy to support that.”
