Less than 1 WEEK left to collect Active Kids vouchers!
22 May is the final day to collect the vouchers from any Sainsbury’s store.
Lets help the kids of today be ACTIVE…simply shop at Sainsbury’s, accept the Active Kids vouchers and then hand them in to a member of staff at AFC Wimbledon, The Cherry Red Records Fans Stadium, Jack Goodchild Way, 422a Kingston Road, Kingston Upon Thames, KT1 3PB
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ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR AT THE CFS
THE SEASON THAT CONCLUDES TODAY HAS BEEN ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL ONE FOR THE CFS, WHICH CONTINUES TO EXPAND AND DEVELOP. CFS ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL COOK LOOKS BACK AT THE HIGHLIGHTS
With the season at its culmination, we look back on what has been another busy year for the AFC Wimbledon Community Football Scheme.
Throughout the season our schools coaching programme has grown in size, and we have received outstanding feedback from the schools in which we operate. The CFS team currently coaches in 15 local schools, providing 39 hours of coaching to nearly 600 children per week. The success of these programmes is down to the hard work and dedication of our community coaches, who all do a great job – so please give them a pat on the back if you see them today.
During the past 12 months the CFS has run numerous holiday football and Saturday Football Club course’s with great success. We are proud to have maintained a consistent presence on a weekly basis at Wimbledon Park, with only a few sessions abandoned because of severe weather. Throughout the season the Saturday Football Club has delivered, on average, 108 hours of coaching to nearly 80 children per week, and holiday courses have provided 28 hours of coaching to around 150 participants each week. The commitment and dedication of the children attending these sessions regularly have helped us to reach these impressive figures, so thank you to all of them.
At the beginning of this season we decided that it would be good to have first-team players appearing at CFS events and sessions more often. Since Neal Ardley’s appointment as manager, we have been able to significantly increase the number of first team player appearances. It is not often that youngsters get to interact with professional footballers, and these encounters live long in their memories. So huge thanks to Neal, and his management team of Neil Cox and Simon Bassey, for all the support they give to the CFS.
In partnership with Npower and the Football League, all schools in Merton and neighbouring boroughs were once again given the opportunity to enter the AFC Wimbledon’s Girls and Kids Cup, the eventual winners going on to the regional final and the possibility of competing at Wembley in the national final. The AFC Wimbledon Kids Cup winners were Cleves Primary School, Weybridge, and the Girls Cup Winners were St Philomena’s Catholic High School for girls, Carshalton. Both schools were unable to progress further in the competitions, but their effort and dedication was second to none.
After our success in staging the Kids Cup in the 2011/12 season, we were asked to host the regional finals this time round. Minterne Community Junior School, representing Gillingham FC, were the eventual winners, and they will now play at Wembley against the Northern regional winners, before the League 2 play-off final.
In partnership with Football League sponsor npower, the CFS were able to deliver 34 RESPECT sessions to 19 local schools, reaching over a thousand children. The Respect campaign uses young people’s love of football to encourage good behaviour in all walks of life. Our ‘What’s Your Goal?’ campaign was also funded by npower, and though we were able to deliver the programme to only a handful of schools, we hope for better success next year. The aim of this campaign is to encourage students in school years 10 and 11 to think about their personal attributes and qualities, and how these will relate to different careers.
Our most recent step in expanding our activities has taken the form of a Walking Football programme for the over-50s. Run by us in partnership with Merton Priory Homes and the Sutton & Merton NHS LiveWell organisation, Walking Football is an indoor activity which aims to combat the lack of sport participation and social interaction by the older generation of Merton. The sessions are held at the Tooting & Mitcham Hub and consist of an hour of walking football followed by an hour of social interaction and the use of the Hub’s facilities (including pool, darts and Sky Sports). There is also the opportunity to get some free health advice from NHS LiveWell, and light and healthy snacks area available. Walking Football takes place every Wednesday evening from 6.00 to 8.00 pm at The Hub, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden SM4 6BF and is free of charge. To book a place, call 0208 974 5712 or email communityfootball@afcwimbledon.co.uk
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Football is not just for the young and fit, who can run until the cows come home – don’t forget, the older generation still like to play.
Take a look at the link below to view the article released by the Kingston Guardian on Friday, 19 April 2013
Easter Holiday Course – 2013
During both weeks of the Easter half term break, Tuesday 2 April – Friday 5 April and Monday 8 April – Friday 12 April, the CFS department offered a Holiday Football Course for boys and girls of all abilities, aged 4 – 14.
The English winter weather decided to hang around for the duration of the course, but this did not affect the number of participants attending throughout the break. The coaches were very impressed with the positive attitude of all the participants and their willingness to learn the skills being taught, so thank you to all who attended!
Just like previous Holiday Courses hosted by the CFS at Wimbledon Park, the participants got the opportunity to meet some of the AFC Wimbledon first team players.
Now the Summer school term is in full swing our Saturday Football Club is back! All the details can be found on our Saturday Club tab at the top of the page or on the information widget to the right of this screen.
Further to this; please follow us on twitter @afcwimbledoncfs or/and on www.facebook.com/afcwimbledoncfs to keep up to date with all the current CFS news.
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FOR THE YOUNG AND THE NOT SO YOUNG
CFS ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL COOK REPORTS ON THE RECENT STAGES OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE KIDS CUP COMPETITION, AND ON A NEW VERSION OF FOOTBALL FOR THE LESS ENERGETIC PLAYER.
In recent weeks the CFS team has been focusing its attention on two events: the Npower Football League Kids Cup Regional Finals (south), which took place at the Kingsmeadow Athletic Centre on Thursday 14 March and our new Walking Football programme, which is being launched this coming week.
After a successful Kids Cup tournament last year, the CFS were asked by the Football League to host this season’s southern-area Kids Cup regional finals, the winners of which go through to the national final at Wembley stadium. There were 14 school teams in this regional final, all representing League 2 clubs, who had won the preliminary rounds hosted by each club. Cleves School of Weybridge, Surrey, wore the yellow and blue of AFC Wimbledon – and they did the club proud!
All the boys played with a smile on their face and showed a great attitude throughout the tournament. There was plenty of positive reinforcement from the coaches of all the schools and clubs, as well as some brilliant support from parents. Cleves School and the CFS team would like to congratulate Minterne Community Junior School, representing Gillingham FC, who were the eventual winners.
The week before the tournament, Cleves School were invited down to the AFC Wimbledon training ground for a training session with community coach Rob Tuvey. The boys played with great intensity, and afterwards the players watched the AFC Wimbledon first team train and then spent some time discussing football with them.
On a different note, we are delighted to announce that our first weekly Walking Football session will take place next Wednesday, 27 March. This sports participation, social inclusion and health initiative is completely free of charge and is aimed at men over 50 living in Merton or in Merton Priory Homes’ sheltered accommodation. It provides the opportunity to take part in football – at a slower speed – and to make new acquaintances.
Walking Football is an indoor activity run by the CFS in partnership with Merton Priory Homes and the Sutton & Merton NHS LiveWell organisation, and will take place every Wednesday from 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm at The Tooting & Mitcham Hub, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden, SM4 6BF. There will be a one-hour football session, ideal for players who may not have the health or desire to play at a faster pace, followed by an hour of social interaction and use of the Hub’s facilities (including pool, darts and Sky Sports). There will be an opportunity to get some free health advice from NHS LiveWell, and free light and healthy snacks will be available.
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AFC Wimbledon Community Football Scheme in partnership with Merton Priory Homes and the Sutton & Merton NHS Live-well organisation
Every Wednesday evening from 6.00pm to 8.00pm (beginning 27 March 2013
At: The Tooting & Mitcham Hub, Imperial Fields, Bishopsford Road, Morden, SM4 6BF
Free weekly indoor sessions of football for over-50s residing in the borough of Merton & Merton Priory Homes along with. Free travel provided from Merton Priory Homes.
Friendly sessions for players who may not have the health or desire to play at a faster pace but still want to partake in some exercise and make some new friends. Sessions last for one hour followed by an hour of social interaction and use of facilities (pool, darts, Sky Sports etc). Free health advice from NHS Live-Well Champions and free light and healthy snacks will be available.
For more info please contact: AFCW Community Football Scheme office on 020 8974 5712 or email communityfootball@afcwimbledon.co.uk
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FIRST TEAM PROVIDE ASSISTS
MEMBERS OF THE FIRST-TEAM SQUAD HAVE AGAIN BEEN HELPING OUT WITH SOME RECENT COMMUNITY FOOTBALL SCHEME PROJECTS, AS CFS ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL COOK REPORTS.
In recent weeks the Community Football Scheme has run a half-term holiday course and a school literacy initiative, and in both cases the children who took part received guidance from AFC Wimbledon first-team members. That certainly added to their enjoyment as it gave them the chance to gain advice from those they consider as role models. Hopefully we will get 3 points today, and it won’t just be the CFS participants with smiles on their faces!
Our February half term holiday course took place at Wimbledon Park during the half term break, and it was a huge success. With an average attendance of 35 participants a day, there were plenty of children enjoying some fun filled football sessions. The bitterly cold weather made it tough for the participants, but when AFC Wimbledon first team members Jason Prior and Warren Cummings turned up on the last day of the course, the young aspiring footballers soon forgot about the cold. Jason and Warren joined in on the fun and signed autographs for all those attending.
On Thursday 14 February, the CFS department and AFC Wimbledon first team members were invited along to assist Hillcross Primary school, Morden, on their literacy initiative day. Before the visit, the CFS team provided 50 AFC Wimbledon match day programmes which the school used to devise quizzes and literacy games for the pupils. The quizzes and games, based around football in general and AFC Wimbledon in particular, were then used to help improve reading and writing skills. Coach Rob Tuvey attended with first team members Jason Prior, Huw Johnson and Louis Harris, and they all assisted the children in the classroom. There was also plenty of time for the children to ask the players questions about their career as professional footballers.
As the CFS department continues to develop, we will look to carry out similar initiatives as this. We hope that all the children were able to gain valuable improvements on their literacy and enjoy themselves at the same time.
Today we would like to give a warm welcome to our Npower Football League Kids Cup Winners, Cleves School in Weybridge, Surrey. The team are here as guests of the Community Football Scheme.
Now that the second half of the spring term has begun, our Saturday Football Club recommenced last weekend. For further information on the course, please see the “Saturday Football Club” tab at the top.
A reminder that Sainsbury’s are again running their Active Kids scheme. Active kids vouchers are being given out with purchases made at Sainsbury’s stores until 22 May. The CFS are collecting these vouchers, which we can redeem against the purchase of new equipment to assist in our community programmes, so please do ask for them when you shop at Sainsbury’s. The vouchers can be handed in at the club office during normal office hours or at the complimentary tickets window on a matchday.
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Due to a waterlogged pitch, the Saturday Football Club which is held at Wimbledon Park, Revelstoke Road, SW18 5NR
will NOT GO AHEAD on 09 March 2013
The session has been CALLED OFF due to poor weather conditions.
We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused and we look forward to seeing you next week.
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