Gosport Borough land Football Conference Trust grant

[FF News]

Gosport Borough have be awarded a grant from The Football Conference Trust helping them to set up their new community project.

The Football Conference trust has granted Gosport Borough In The Community the sum of £20,000 over a 12 month period to aid the development of the project.

The project is headed by Gosport Borough captain Sam Pearce and is already having a positive influence on the local community.

Gosport Borough In The Community are currently working with four schools in the local area providing a range of activities and support for not only the children but the staff as well.

The project provides support in the classroom and on the playing fields with activities such as one to one reading sessions, PE lessons, football team coaching and after school clubs.

Gosport Borough In The Community has also held five successful school holiday football courses which has seen over 250 children from the local community attend. These courses range from one to three days and accommodate children aged between 7 and 16 and are held at The Aerial Direct Stadium, Privett Park so it gives the children a chance to look around the ground and play on the new pitch, which is something that all enjoy.

Gosport Borough In The Community works closely with the Senior Team and Academy system and has had players such as Nathan Ashmore assist at these courses as well as providing signed memorabilia to award as prizes for the children who improve, perform and behave the best during the course.

Gosport Borough In The Community is also working closely with the Gosport Borough Council to provide free coaching sessions for children during the school holidays.

In the summer of 2014 and 2015 Sam Pearce and Nathan Ashmore provided free coaching session at Siskin School which saw 30 children attend and take part in. Providing these sessions is something that the project is proud of and looking to build on and increase participation in the future.

Gosport Borough In The Community is working in close partnership with Gosport Leisure Centre to provide walking football sessions. Walking football is all the fun of the real thing without the running.

The walking football sessions are held on Monday lunchtimes and Wednesday evenings and have been well received by the local public. The sessions are free and have seen a wide range of participants from 17 year olds up to 70.

The project also holds gatherings for a local Blind Society, Women’s Institute and Ukulele groups offering the use of the clubhouse, boardroom and kitchen to provide a warm and friendly atmosphere for the members.

Gosport Borough In The Community would like to thank The Football Conference Trust for its very generous contribution as without it the project would not have been possible.

In the first twelve months the Community project has worked with over 800 people from aged 5 to 85.

"We are striving to bring the community closer and over the past twelve months we have worked with a lot of amazing people," said Sam Pearce.

"I would like to thank all the schools, groups and organisations that have partnered us through the last year. We will continue to work hard to bring our community together.

"I would especially like to thank The Football Conference Trust. Without their support and backing the project wouldn’t be here. The first year has been a huge learning curve for us and their continued support has been amazing".

Rebecca Jakes, Deputy Head of Woodcot Primary School one of the projects partnering schools said, "Woodcot Primary School has placed great value in working in partnership with Gosport Borough In The Community.

"Staff members at school were keen to link with the club’s initiative to work with local schools.

"Sam has worked with school staff to develop a tailored programme designed to support individual pupils.

"Sam’s positive attitude, warm personality, sporting skills and standing in the community has made him a positive male role model.

"His enthusiasm and interest in the pupils has resulted in a number of positive changes for individual pupils and groups of children he has worked with. He has supported pupils in a number of ways."

One area that Sam supported pupils with was to help Year Six pupils by listening to them read. This was particularly helpful in enabling some of the pupils to grow in confidence and become more engaged with reading.

Using his sporting skills, Sam has facilitated some sporting activities for three key groups of pupils. Working with some Year 5 and 6 boys who had issues managing their behaviour, he helped them to develop self-regulation, teamwork and communication skills.

Sam also worked with a group of girls that were quiet and lacked confidence to join in fully. The girls enjoyed being part of the group and by the end were participating more actively with the tasks, but also engaging in class with greater confidence.

Sam also ran weekly sessions for the Service Children in school. This involved playing team games with them, whilst providing them with a positive male role model. The sessions enabled these children to forge relationships with other Service Children in the school.

Staff members have noticed that many of the children Sam worked with during the academic year have begun to try harder and aspire to improve their skills and knowledge. They have also grown in confidence and are more willing to have a go at tasks than they used to be; they have particularly benefitted from feeling valued within the group.

This project has had a positive impact on the attitudes and self-esteem of pupils, it has been a helpful to link with the wider community. Staff are grateful to Sam and GBFC in the Community for the support given.

Source: www.gosportboroughfc.co.uk

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