FITC Celebrates Funding Success

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) have announced £ 11 million for 25 third sector organisations to deliver positive activities to over 20,000 young people across the country from Cornwall to Northumberland over the next two years.

The Youth Sector Development fund (YSDF) have now confirmed that Norwich City FC / Norfolk County FA Football in the Community (FITC) has been awarded a grant of £594,912. The registered Charity, based at Carrow Road, plays a key part in the Club's community outreach work to over 50,000 children and families on an annual basis.

The purpose of the YSDF is to promote and support growth and build capacity within third sector organisations who deliver effective services and activities for young people in England, particularly the most disadvantaged.

Through a mixture of grant funding and business support, the YSDF will support Football in the Community to sustain some of their excellent initiatives that are delivered throughout the county, but also to grow their provision, including strategies to diversify their income streams.

The funding will be supporting the launch of four new ‘kickz' projects based in Dereham, North Walsham, Bowthorpe & Kings Lynn, and four new ‘Goalz' projects in Great Yarmouth, Thetford, Kings Lynn & Norwich.

There will also be some key support to appoint some specific positions that include a Partnership Development Manager, Marketing and Communications Manager, Administration Support, together with financial support to appoint further football / sports coaches to deliver a number of different initiatives.

Ian Thornton - Director of FITC Said:

"Key staff have worked very hard to collate a comprehensive application that gave us a strong chance to be successful with. Over 900 third sector organisations applied for the funding with 25 being successful. We are extremely proud to be one of the selected organisations"

" The YSDF objectives are to help us capacity-build through financial and business support. We aim to maximise the funding period to make the charity more sustainable, and effective, whilst having a positive difference to many young people with the initiatives on offer"

For further information on Football in the Community please call 01603 761122.

        Norwich City FC / Norfolk County FA Football in the Community

      is supported by the
     Department for Children, Schools and Families

     through the Youth Sector Development Fund

Kickz

Is a national programme run by football clubs.  Kickz uses football and sport to engage in key partnership work with various key organisations such as Police, Youth Offending Teams, Housing organisations and District Council's. Its aim is to tackle anti-social behaviour in deprived areas, whilst giving sporting opportunities. Coaching sessions are offered free of charge three times a week. Through the coaching sessions qualified instructors come in to deliver sessions based on Sex Education, Gun and Knife Crime, Health & Fitness and Career aspirations. These workshops are used to help educate the clients attending; by building their social skills and helping them deal with every day life.

For further information on Kickz please visit

 http://www.footballfoundation.org.uk/our-schemes/kickz/

Goalz

Is a bespoke course organised and delivered by Football in the Community and The BlueCat Initiative. The project is aimed to engage hard to reach clients that are the NEET (Not In Education, Employment or Training). Through the project the clients receive 20 weeks of OCN based sessions to improve their employability, and offer sports qualifications to leading clients. An hour of action packed sport complements the education sessions whilst giving them the chance to take part in sports not regularly available to them.

Photograph shown was taken at the recent Norwich City v Bristol Rovers game in the photo: Fred Corbett - Deputy Director for NCC Childrens Services, Jim Smerdon - SuperIntendant for Great Yarmouth Police, Chloe Smith - Conservative MP, Norman Lamb - Liberal Democrats MP, Roy Blowers - Norwich City County Councillor, Ian Thornton & Jackie Thornton - FITC, Dan Rose - Football Foundation.