Wickham Wanderers FC score with Football Foundation grant
07 Oct 2011

Football Foundation Press Release

Friday 7^th October 2011

Young Footballers in the Bromley and Croydon areas were celebrating today following a £5,000 Grow the Game grant awarded by the Football Foundation, the country’s largest sports charity.

Wickham Wanderers FC, an FA Charter Standard Football Club that caters for all age groups of players and all abilities was established in 1993.  Since then the Club has grown to become one of the largest community based Clubs in the area with teams from under 7 right through to adults – all playing ‘park’ football.

This funding boost will allow Wickham Wanderers to set up at least 4 new teams at the junior end of the Club – the major beneficiaries of the grant will range from under 7 to under 11.  In addition, the Club will now be able to train at least 3 additional FA qualified coaches, so improving the quality of the coaching experience.

Given the recent troubles in south London and especially Croydon, the Club is also pleased to announce its partnership with ‘Potential 4 you’ - a registered charity working with young people aged 8-18 in the Croydon area and from which some of the new teams will be set up.

Funded by the Premier League, The FA, and the Government via Sport England, the Football Foundation is the nation’s largest sports charity. Since it was launched in 2000, the Foundation has awarded around 8,000 grants worth more than £420m towards improving grassroots sport, which it has used to attract additional partnership funding of over £520m.

Tony Ford, Club Secretary of Wickham Wanderers FC said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won this award from the Football Foundation.  Wickham Wanderers prides itself on a ‘football-for-all’ policy and the grant will ensure that another fifty children can enjoy playing organised football in a friendly, safe and well-run environment – no matter what their ability or financial background.  Our current aim is to make a positive and lasting contribution for young people through football – and this grant will go a long way towards achieving that.  Indeed as one ‘Potential 4 you’ motto states: “It’s not just a ball, it’s a team-building tool that demonstrates what is attainable through teamwork.”

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said: “We warmly congratulate Wickham Wanderers and the Kent County FA for their hard work and dedication in securing this award.”

  “Our Grown the Game scheme helps fulfil one of the Foundation’s core objectives, which is getting more people playing more football. During the 2009-10 season, Grow the Game projects attracted more than 21,000 new players to our national game.”

“This new project in West Wickham and Croydon is but one example of thousands across the country that the Football Foundation is supporting with money provided by our funding partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government.”

ENDS

 For more information contact:

• Wickhamwanderersfc@hotmail.co.uk
• Rory Carroll on 0845 345 4555 ext 4280 or rory.carroll@footballfoundation.org.uk