- Middlesbrough one of eight Club Charities to share £520,000 in vital funding
- Middlesbrough nets £100,000 for a start of the art community football centre
- The funding is courtesy of the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund
Legendary Sky Sports host Jeff Stelling has a new surprise for long-time friend Chris Kamara – as ‘Kammy’s’ home borough in the North-East of England will be getting a new state of the art community football centre.
The Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund has selected a community scheme backed by Middlesbrough FC for £100,000-worth of vital funding – alongside eight other successful applications.
The funding ensures Middlesbrough Borough Council in partnership with Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation, can press ahead with the new Southlands Centre in Park End, where Chris Kamara was raised and learnt his first football back in the 1970s.
Stelling – who was one of five judges on the Building Foundations Fund panel – stated that the Middlesbrough Football Club Foundation had such an impressive bid.
‘This new centre with 3G and grass football pitches will go into the heart of one of the most deprived parts of England’, he said.
‘The money from Sky Bet and the EFL means the council can go ahead with the investment and bring football back to the community. God help us, but maybe it will find another Kammy!’
Middlesbrough nets £100,000 for new state of the art community football centre
The £100k for the new Southlands Centre in Park End is from the Building Foundations Fund
Chris Kamara – famed for his catchphrase ‘It’s Unbelievable Jeff’ from his time on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday – said Park End holds fond memories for him and the scheme would make a huge difference.
‘I spent my childhood kicking a football around the streets of Park End. Having access to this kind of facility will be transformational for aspiring footballers living in Middlesbrough; and hopefully the EFL one day’, he said.
In addition to the £100,000 granted to Middlesbrough, eight other bids will share a further £420,000 courtesy of the fund.
One of the successful bids include the Norwich City FC Community Foundation – who have won £90,000 towards a scheme that aims to reduce isolation and foster a greater sense of community, by training volunteers of all ages, including those from underrepresented groups, and offering support to the Foundation’s other initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Wigan Athletic Community Trust will bag £30,000 towards its Adult Disability Football Programme, which offers weekly football sessions for adults with disabilities in an inclusive environment.
Additionally, it will enhance physical health, mental well-being, and social connections while addressing the need for accessible physical activity opportunities in Wigan.
Kieran Forde, Head of Brand and Sponsorship at Sky Bet, said they are thrilled to continue their support for these impactful projects through the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund.
‘It’s been inspiring to see the wide range of initiatives that are transforming lives in communities across the country, whether through employability programmes, regenerating facilities or environmental sustainability efforts,’ he said.
‘We look forward to seeing the positive outcomes these projects will create in the coming months and years.’
For more information about the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund and the projects it supports, please visit: https://m.skybet.com/lp/efl-building-foundations-fund
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .