A VEHICLE-LEASING company has ensured budding soccer stars look the part by providing full kits to youth football clubs across the Thames Valley region.
Working with an organisation called Grassroots FA, Select donated shirts, shorts, socks and rain jackets to sides who could benefit from additional support.
Shinfield Rangers FC’s Under 7s were one of the beneficiaries of the initiative.
The club’s teams play in either the East Berks Football Alliance (EBFA) or the Berkshire County Girls Football League (BCGFL).
Ray Barclay, chairman of the club, was full of praise for Select and Grassroots FA for the donation, saying: “The kit donation means an awful lot to us, it really does. We’re a not-for-profit club trying to do our best for the community.
“Kits are, to me, also the lifeblood of the team. The kids can’t play matches without it. So, any help we can get is always welcome. We really appreciate the sponsorship.”
Other teams receiving free kits included Centre Skills FC, GiveBack FC, Theale Tigers FC, Winnersh Rangers FC, Taplow United FC and Burnham FC.
The Grassroots Football Association was launched in 2022 to ‘provide a better environment for grassroots football’, according to creator Gary Small.
It connects companies and organisations with football clubs to build relationships and so that, ultimately, teams can get the support they need.
The Grassroots FA network extends to all three local football leagues for young players: the Berkshire Youth Development League (BYDL), Reading and West Berks League (RWBL) and the EBFA.
It also liaises with the charitable arm of Reading Football Club’s Community Trust.
Mr Small, who started out as a coach for Centre Skills Football Club, Tilehurst, back in 2014, is passionate about giving back to youngsters who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and find it financially challenging to play football.
He said: “There are 33,000 kids playing across the three leagues in the local area.
“At present, we can’t reach and support all of those youngsters. But what we can do is to start by targeting the disadvantaged clubs and make sure we try to provide some useful benefits to them, such as kits.
“There are a great many clubs operating amidst real financial constraints and there’s obviously a cash burden on families who are living through a cost of living crisis. There’s not enough kit, goals are expensive, and pitch fees can be pricey.
“There’s also a shortage of referees and officials as retention is a real issue. Clubs also often need to find considerable amounts of money to operate a mini-bus for away matches.
“By opening-up channels of communication, by asking businesses for sponsorship or investment, and by finding ways to keep costs down through commercial collaboration, we aim to support as many grassroots teams as we can.
“It’s about providing access to football for all, not just those who can afford it.”
Mark Tongue, Select Car Leasing Director, added: “We’re really proud to be involved with the ‘kits for kids’ initiative and we hope the contribution makes a difference to clubs, youngsters and families in the region.
“Many of us here at Select are involved in grassroots football ourselves, supporting our own children, so we really recognise the importance of giving back to a community that’s so committed and dedicated to inspiring the next generation of footballers.”
