A grant from the Football Association is to give a boost to Durham’s local soccer side Durham City AFC.
The FA has awarded the club a £750 grant as part of its Stay in the Game programme.
Durham City AFC will use the grant to help retain its adult male players. Club chairman Gary Hutchinson says he can’t wait to see the looks on his players’ faces, as the money will help secure the long-term future of the team.
The Stay in the Game programme is financed by the FA and delivered by the Football Foundation. The scheme helps small grass roots clubs cover their costs and stay financially stable so they can continue to compete in organised football.
The cash can be used for matchday costs, league affiliation fees, the hire of training facilities and covering subs for individuals going through financial hardship.
Stay in the Game aims to sustain adult male football teams, building on the success of the Grow the Game scheme. Grow the Game provided £1.5 million to boost women’s and girls’ football and football for people with disabilities.
In addition to running the Grow the Game and Stay in the Game programmes, the Football Foundation has used cash from the FA, Sport England and the Premier League to improve sporting facilities all over the country.
Since 2000, the Football Foundation has been involved with more than 16,500 grass roots projects worth over £1.5 billion.
Gary Hutchinson said, “Football clubs all over the country are struggling, especially at grass roots level.”
“Awards like this from the Football Foundation help clubs not only run but survive and we thank them for this. It’s like an extra 150 supporters coming through the gate so it’s much appreciated.”
Stay in the Game is an inclusive programme, which aims to support players from all ethnic backgrounds, faiths and sexual orientations.
(Photo by Peter Glaser on Unsplash)
