Archive for category: News

Over 235 teens from Yorkshire & Humber will be actively volunteering as part of NCS Action Day between the 18^th– 21^st March.

NCS Action Day is a day where NCS Grads from across the UK will come together and celebrate all the work they have done to support good causes in their local communities’. In Yorkshire and Humber, EFL Trust have had over 16,000 young people partake in National Citizen Service (NCS) delivering over 500,000 hours of social action in their local community.

Action Day is a chance for NCS graduates to shout out loud about their social action achievements, deliver a project as a collective and make a positive impact on their community.

Graduates in Yorkshire and Humber are set to be very busy during NCS Action Day having planned 8 projects across the region. Take a look what some of them will be up to;

Tigers Trust – Over 100 NCS Graduates and Summer 2017 participants will come together to complete the ‘Conga of Culture’ in Hull City Centre. The Conga will work to raise awareness of local mental health provision in partnership with staff and volunteers from the beneficiary charity, MIND. Read more https://www.hull2017.co.uk/discover/article/challenge-hull-week-11-conga-culture/.

Club Doncaster Foundation – 40 Graduates will be working alongside Doncaster Rovers Football Club & Dons Rugby Club to deliver an intergenerational project with elderly and vulnerable adults, putting on activities such as bingo, arts and crafts and soft refreshments.

Sheffield United Community Foundation – It’s Penalty Shoot-out time at Bramall Lane!! Graduates from Sheffield United will be raising money for Prostate Cancer by holding a penalty shoot-out on the pitch before kick-off at Sheffield United v Charlton Athletic (Saturday18th March). Graduates will also be speaking to fans raising awareness and doing a bucket collection.

Tony Buck, Youth Engagement Officer at EFL Trust said: “The skills and experience that young people gain whilst participating in NCS, are designed to equip them, to continue making a positive difference in their communities. NCS Action Day, is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate all the incredible things our NCS Graduates do all year round. We are very proud of all the hard work that Graduates have been doing in preparation for Action Day and look forward to seeing the difference their projects will make from Saturday 18^th March.”

All the social action projects which are part of the NCS programme are a fundamental part of the skills learnt and developed by young people.

To keep updated on NCS Action follow our Twitter page @NCS_EFLTrust.

James Casling, a 22-year old from north-west London, was left in a very dark place on the day of his fifteenth birthday when his father committed suicide. The teenager was sectioned three years later after trying to take his own life on multiple occasions. But a simple offer from QPR Community Trust to play football, turned his life around.

On May 2010, James should have been celebrating turning 15, but instead, he learned that his father had taken his own life.

His story is understandably still very raw and it is an event he is still grappling to come to terms with.

Trying to collect himself amid the tears and shaking as he speaks, James relives the last few years of his father’s life.

”I always wondered why he would do it, why my love for him wasn’t enough” he told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme.

”But then I realised, if someone’s like that [suicidal], I couldn’t have save him.

”I think it hurts a lot more, to know there was nothing I could have done to stop it.”

As he describes it, his whole world turned upside down and it left him in a ”dark place”.

”I was in so much pain, that to carry on [living] seemed like it was going to hurt more than to end my life.”

Over the next three years, James tried to kill himself on countless occasions.

”It’s a scary place. People say ‘are you afraid of dying?’ But if you can take steps to end your life, there’s not much that is scary to you.

”To sit in a room and to be left alone with my thoughts, I think that’s what kills people.

”It’s their own head, telling them their life isn’t worth it, when in fact it is.”

James with his father

At aged 18, James was sectioned and admitted to the Park Royal Mental Health centre in north-west London.

It was there, that his life changed when he was asked one morning if he wanted to play football with the help of the QPR Community Trust.

Immediately he said yes and this lead to his mother taking a simple step of buying him a pair of football boots.

”At the time I didn’t realise, but if my mum didn’t buy me those boots, things might not have changed, and I might have lost my life to mental illness.”

James became the QPR Community Trust’s mental health team’s top goal scorer in the first three seasons – an achievement which he is rightly very proud of.

”When I lost my dad, I lost all sense of belonging. It threw me out of control. I didn;t have anything I felt I belonged to.

”When I put on my kit and play with my friends, it feels like we’re not just friends, we’re family.

”Every week I attended training and it gave me hope I could be someone my family and friends could be proud of.

In his strikingly frank and endearing manner, he adds: ”It made me want to stay alive, so my mum and brothers wouldn’t have to bury me.”

James – supported by his mother and the Mental Health Football Association – hopes others can feel the same benefits in the future.

”We can never stop people getting mentally unwell, but we can help them get better [through] football.

”If I had carried on that path [from before football] I wouldn’t be here today. I had to stop destroying myself.”

Although he is now older, he is unsure what the future holds for him – but remains positive.

”The future’s looking a lot brighter than it was a couple of years ago.

”I’m 21 now, I’ve got a good 60 years ahead of me.”

His hope is that by speaking out, others will be inspired by his story too – and may seek help.

To find out more about QPR Community Trust visit – http://www.qprcommunitytrust.co.uk/

After winning the Regional Final stages of the Kinder + Sport Girls Cup last week, girls from Gordano School in Bristol and Thomas Telford School in Shrewsbury will get a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to represent their local football clubs at Wembley Stadium.

This year, over 6000 girls competed in the Kinder + Sport Girls Cup, a six-a-side competition for U13’s, that culminates in a Grand Final prior to the Checkatrade Trophy Final at Wembley Stadium on 2nd April.

The road to the finals began when each of the 72 EFL clubs organised a local competition for all schools wishing to take part. Each winning school of the local competition got the opportunity to represent their local club in the north and south Area Finals, in a bid to reach the Regional Finals.

The Swindome, Swindon’s first all purpose state of the art indoor football facility, a venue also used by Southampton FC’s development squad, was home to the south Regional Finals last Wednesday.

Bristol City (Gordano High School), who finished 2nd at the Regional Final stage of the competition last year, came out on top against Luton Town, Brentford and Reading FC to claim their Grand Final spot at Wembley after competing in a highly contested group stage.

The north Regional Finals took place at Sheffield Wednesday FC’s training ground last Friday, and saw last season’s overall champions Shrewsbury Town (Thomas Telford School), overcome three other teams (Barnsley, Blackburn Rovers and Peterborough United).  They progressed to their second successive Grand Final with a hard fought win over Blackburn Rovers, who took them all the way to the end.

The girls were also fortunate enough to receive support from Women’s Super League (WSL) players during both Regional Finals from Reading Women FC, Oxford United Women FC and Sheffield Ladies FC.

Oxford United Women midfielder Emily Donovan, who was present at the south Regional Final said: ”There’s been some great quality of play today. I walked in and the first thing I saw was somebody scoring from the defensive line!

”It’s incredible for the girls that they get to play at Wembley. Hopefully one day even I’ll have the opportunity. When you’re younger there’s nothing better than knowing you’ll get the chance to play at a national stadium.”

Lauren Burton, Reading Women FC’s attacking midfielder said: ”I think the Girls Cup is fantastic. It’s great for the women’s game. When I was younger this sort of thing wasn’t around, so it’s great to see that a lot of girls have got good tournaments with their schools, and that they’re even fortunate enough to go to Wembley.”

Sheffield Ladies and England U18 forward Hannah Caine commented: ”When I started out there wasn’t any girls teams where I was, so I started off in a boys team. It’s fantastic to see that now there’s enough girls playing to put tournaments like this together.

”It’s massive for the girls, what an inspiration to get to play at Wembley. I would have loved an opportunity like that when I was a kid.”

#GirlsCup

Sean Rowlinson, a 22-year-old volunteer from Wigan Athletic Community Trust, is embarking on an educational pathway with the University of South Wales (USW).

Studying a two-year foundation degree with USW in Community Football Coaching and Development, which is run in partnership with EFL Trust, Sean first volunteered for Wigan Athletic Community Trust 18 months ago when he assisted in the delivery of P.E schools.

His involvement with volunteering has propelled his individual development and he believes his experiences will benefit him hugely whilst he completes his degree.

He said: “Volunteering has really helped me to develop my skills and allowed me to take my experiences into a professional coaching environment.

“I’ve volunteered at different schools around the Wigan area as a part of Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s commitment to delivering quality P.E, and have also been involved in disability football too so I’ve covered a wide range of aspects which has benefitted me greatly.”

Alongside the academic element of the USW degree, students complete up to 200 hours of voluntary coaching within the community allowing the students to embed and develop the coaching techniques learnt within lectures.

“Volunteering has been hugely beneficial for me because it’s given me that pathway into coaching which is what I love doing.

“I started volunteering when I was doing my early coaching qualifications where I achieved the FA Level 1 & 2 coaching badges, but learnt that it was crucial for me to continue my development and gain my multi-skills too so I could work in schools.

“I was asked if I wanted to go on the University of South Wales’ football coaching course, and my volunteering hours will definitely help me to continue to gain experiences in this area.

“Volunteering has not only helped me to gain coaching experience, it has helped me start a new education pathway which otherwise I may not have had.”

To find out more about the USW foundation degree in Community Football Coaching and Development visit – https://www.efltrust.com/communityfootballdegree/

To find out more about Wigan Athletic Community Trust visit – http://www.wiganlatics.co.uk/community/

Rotherham United FC and its Community Sports Trust has joined in the search to help find a missing Lotto Millionaire Raffle winner from a ticket bought in the Rotherham Metropolitan Council Area.

The winner has until 23rd February 2017 to claim this life-changing sum of money, which is worth £50,000 and the winning Lotto Millionaire Raffle code is GREY 1431 4050.1.

The National Lottery has invested over £5 billion in grassroots sport to date, with Rotherham United Football Club and its Community Sports Trust just one of those that has benefitted having received almost £400,000 worth of National Lottery funding.

Through the power of sport, Rotherham Community Sports Trust’s overall aim is to get as many people as possible leading healthy lifestyles. They have used the National Lottery funding to focus on inclusion, mental health and specific outreach projects in the local community to ensure everyone has access to sporting facilities. These include everything from football and fishing, curling and table tennis.

Jamie Noble, Head of the Community Sports Trust at Rotherham United FC, said: “The trust relies on charitable donations. The funding we received from The National Lottery has allowed us to engage with even more people and encourage more people than ever to make use of and benefit from our facilities.

“We are delighted to support the hunt for the missing ticket-holder and hope we find that lucky Rotherham winner.”

If no one comes forward with the winning ticket before the prize claim deadline, then the prize money, plus all the interest it has generated, will go to help National Lottery-funded projects across the UK. The National Lottery changes the lives of individuals as well as communities – players raise, on average, over £30 million for National Lottery-funded projects every week.

With all National Lottery draws, players have 180 days from the day of the draw to claim their prize if they have the winning ticket. Anyone who has any queries or who believes they have the winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery Line on 0844 338 7551 or email [email protected]

For more information about Rotherham Community Sport Trust visit –  http://www.themillers.co.uk/club/community/