VITAL projects to help struggling Trident League clubs revive their roles at the heart of their communities have been given much-needed cash injections this week.
The Trident Community Foundation, launched in December as part of Pitching In’s grassroots sport investment programme, has approved its first set of wide-ranging grants to support new and existing community-focused initiatives across Steps 3 and 4.
Twenty-seven clubs have been offered grants of up to £4,000 from the opening set of allocations, with further grants remaining available from this season’s earmarked £150,000 fund donated by Ladbrokes’ owner, Entain.
The Pitching In Southern League is home to 16 of the successful clubs at this stage and vice-chairman Anthony Hughes said: “It has been phenomenal. We were overwhelmed by the response and the difficult part was allocating funds as all the projects were worthy.
“We have tried to reward a variety of applications that are creative and innovative, covering as many different facets of the community as possible.
“It has been such a difficult time over the past year but this gives us the first impetus to start looking ahead to when things open up.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel and getting these projects off the ground will be the start of clubs getting back in amongst their communities.”
Forming or expanding opportunities for women, children and disabled footballers provide the basis of several approved bids, while Poole Town and Workington are set to focus on social provision and increasing safe participation in sport for people living in deprived areas.
Not all the proposals are football-based, with Merthyr Town and Merstham among those who hope to use the funds to advance mental health initiatives and Newcastle Town, one of six Pitching In Northern Premier League clubs to be offered a grant, aiming to expand a food bank scheme.
NPL chairman Mark Harris, who sits on the TCF board alongside his Southern and Isthmian League counterparts, two Ladbrokes representatives and Non- League Paper editor-in-chief David Emery, said: “We were very pleased with not just the amount but the quality of the applications we received.
“Through forces beyond our control, one of the tasks facing every club in Non-League football is to re-establish themselves in their local community.
“We have to collectively remind our communities of the important role Non-League football plays, and what better way to do that than through community-facing activities.”
Pitching In Isthmian League chairman Nick Robinson agrees and believes the grants will provide a timely morale-boost in the wake of a second consecutive league season being curtailed.
Psyche
“This is the time to be giving good news,” he said. “It is the honey to go with the bitter pill.
“We want to be able to breathe life into this – it’s not just football, it’s football with a real community effort.
“The principles behind the various projects are brilliant and it’s vital to engage youngsters, in particular, to get the names of the clubs and leagues into their psyche.”
Pitching In ambassador Stuart Pearce knows all about the value of the Non-League community from his early days at Wealdstone and the former England skipper said: “These clubs will have a vital role to play in the health and well-being of society when restrictions ease.
“Initiatives like this will show the true meaning of Pitching In and strengthen existing bonds within communities across the country.
“I would like to congratulate those who have been successful – and this is just the start. I look forward to seeing these initiatives come to life and more ideas come in.”
‘These clubs will have a vital role to play in the health and wellbeing of society when restrictions are lifted’
Stuart Pearce
Pitching In spokesperson and Ladbrokes PR Director Simon Clare added: “When we launched our Pitching In sponsorship of the Trident Leagues, our ambition was for Entain and our Ladbrokes brand to make a real difference to grassroots and non-elite sport, and we are thrilled to be a founding partner of the Trident Community Fund. Already we are inspired and enthused by the variety and nature of the proposed projects.
“We can’t wait to see these projects make a difference to communities across England and Wales in the months ahead, at a time when they are needed most.”
Ladbrokes, with the support of its owner Entain, has launched a multi-million pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports. The programme includes a flagship partnership with The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues – collectively known as The Trident League – as well as a partnership with the UK sports charity SportsAid. For more details see: https://entaingroup.com/ sustainability/pitching-in/
IT’S FUN IN THE SUN
NEW summer activity camps for children will help the name of Poole Town “spread deeper into our community”, according to chairman Chris Reeves.
The Dolphins are one of 16 Pitching In Southern League clubs to have been offered a Trident Community Foundation grant and plan to expand their successful Kids Initiative, which has links with local schools and charities.
“We hope the grant can take it to another level by helping to provide free or heavily subsidised activity days for youngsters in the summer holidays,” Reeves said. “Our intention is to run them for the bulk of the day so it becomes a meaningful childcare facility.”
Such projects are set to offer vital social and physical benefi ts to children post-lockdown and Reeves hopes this will serve as a timely reminder of the football club’s role as a community hub.
“I remember going to a soccer camp we helped run a couple of years ago and a boy told his dad he’d had ‘the best day of his life’,” he said.
“It did my heart proud and that’s the sort of buzz we’ll be looking to create. This money from Pitching In will be invaluable and do an awful lot of good.”
UNITED WE STAND FOR PUSHING GIRL POWER
EXPANDING opportunities for women and girls is high on the agenda at Lincoln United, one of six Pitching In Northern Premier League clubs to be offered a Trident Community Foundation grant.
Since merging with Hykeham Town last year, the Amateurs have incorporated a senior women’s team along with six junior sides.
United chairman Lee Griffin hopes to see these numbers increase.
“We would like to create a recreational session for mums, with a focus on enjoyment, as well as a development squad for our women’s team and investing in our wildcat centre for girls between five and 10 years old,” he said.
“Historically, Lincoln United’s links to the community have not been strong enough and growing our female pathway will really broaden our reach.”
Griffin also hopes to begin disability football projects at the club and thinks the funding boost will help United play a vital role in bringing people together after lockdown.
“Unless you’re at the top of the game, funding is difficult to come by,” he said.
“This grant will give us a real platform to be successful and, more importantly, sustainable with our delivery of football for women, girls and disabled footballers.”
GULLS ARE SOARING
CANVEY Island’s successful Soccability squad can pick up where they left off when they take to the field again thanks to support from the Trident Community Foundation.
The Pitching In Isthmian League outfit began providing training sessions for young disabled footballers around three years ago and now have a regular squad of 14.
The TCF grant is set to pay for new kit, equipment and coaching and chairman John Batch hopes to see the team go from strength to strength.
“We are very proud of our Soccability team and the fund will help us keep it going,” he said. “They are a fantastic asset to our club and to see the change in the kids is so rewarding. Sometimes we have more than 20 kids, boys and girls, at training and they have really missed it recently.
“We’ve bought them footballs which tie around the waist to give them a feel of the football at home – our Trident Community Founda-tion grant will cover that, a new kit and more.
“We value our place in the community very highly and we are thankful to Pitching In for this funding, which will be of real benefit to our youngsters.”
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