Football club scores with funding boost

A football club near Braintree that is striving to bring more girls to the sport has been given a donation from housebuilder Persimmon Homes.

Two new girls’ teams have been launched at White Notley Football Club this year and the Under 8 squad are preparing to start their first competitive season in the local league.

Persimmon Homes Essex, a five-star housebuilder currently building 250 high-quality new homes at The Maples in neighbouring Cressing, have stepped up to sponsor the team and provide new kits for each of the players.

The club, which offers youth and senior football, is also fundraising to refurbish their artificial pitch, giving the teams a year-round training facility.

Persimmon Homes Essex has further offered £3,000 towards the project, with the donation totalling £4,200.

Justin Daniels, Club Chairman, said: “We are very grateful to Persimmon for this funding, it has been our vision to introduce even more youth teams to the club and this funding will get the girls’ team off to a great start this season.

“We have a growing number of youth teams and it is wonderful to see the children being active, learning to be a part of a team and forming friendships here at the club.”

Cllr Graham Butland, Leader of Braintree District Council, and Council Chairman Cllr Lyn Walters, visited the club to see the youth teams in training and help Persimmon Homes hand over the donation.

Cllr Butland said: “Supporting grassroots sport is so important and I look forward to seeing the club grow. It was a pleasure to meet everyone involved. It is promising to see a housebuilder supporting the existing community around their developments.”

Luke Atkinson, Technical Director for Persimmon Homes Essex, said: “At Persimmon we do more than just build homes, we want to create communities and support those close to where we are building.
“We were delighted to be able to support White Notley Football Club and wish their new team great success for the season ahead.”