The Hunslet Club is set to offer new volunteer opportunities for local residents thanks to Barclays Spaces for Sports, which has awarded the charity a grant of £23,414.
Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community sports programme which uses the power of sport to help young people develop the confidence and skills they need for the future, and revitalise communities. As part of this programme, Barclays has partnered with the Football Foundation to develop 200 community facilities across the UK, which cater for a wide range of sports.
The grant will contribute towards the work of a volunteer co-ordinator at the Hunslet Club for the next two years, who will help to increase the number of volunteers and provide the right training to ensure children and young people have fun and enjoy sports at the site. Funding from Barclays will also be used to purchase an aerator which will improve drainage, resulting in better pitches that are be used by community teams every week.
The new funding for the centre follows a series of grants since 2006 worth £246,844 from Barclays, and £209,344 from the Football Foundation. These grants were used to build 3G training pitches and develop training opportunities for hundreds of footballers of all ages at the Hunslet Club every week. Barclays also recently facilitated a visit by the FA Barclays Premier League Trophy to the venue.
Dennis Robbins, Chief Executive Officer at the Hunslet Club, said,
“With over 2,300 children and young people coming through our doors, every year we always need more volunteers to help and inspire them. We are delighted that Barclays Spaces for Sports has chosen to support our vital work here in South Leeds in a way that will have a significant positive impact on the local community.”
Hilary Benn, MP for Leeds Central, commented on the new grant,
“I am delighted that Barclays Spaces for Sports is choosing to invest in the future of volunteers at the great Hunslet Club in Leeds. The Club’s work makes a big difference to the local community.”
Paulette Cohen, Head of Global Programmes, Barclays, said,
“We are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of all Barclays Spaces for Sports sites and the additional funding that the Hunslet Club has received is a strong example of this. This is one of over 200 UK sites where we work with our partner, the Football Foundation, offering financial and non-financial assistance so they can continue to have a positive impact in the local community.”
Experts at the Football Foundation work closely with each site to identify their needs, and provide practical help such as advice on how to draw up new business and marketing plans and establish new local partnerships.
The Barclays Spaces for Sports Programme is part of Barclays’ wider commitment to invest £250m to help five million disadvantaged young people around the world, by 2015, develop the skills they need to fulfil their potential.
Click here to find out more about volunteering opportunities at the Hunslet Club.
