County cash boosts grassroots football

Seven of Exeter’s Devon County Councillors have earmarked part of their community budget to help get Devon’s young people more involved in sport.

The City’s county councillors each equally contributed £222.00 towards a £1,554 grant to the ‘Premier League Kicks’ programme, which provides free sports coaching sessions and community activities to young people aged 8-19.

The programme is being delivered by the City Community Trust, a leading health and wellbeing charity working in partnership with Exeter City Football Club.

The money was contributed from the Locality Budgets of Councillors Percy Prowse, Marina Asvachin, Su Aves, Rob Hannaford, Andrew Leadbetter, Emma Brennan and Carol Whitton.

Each county councillor has a locality budget that they can use to respond to local needs and support projects or activities that benefit the communities they represent.

Sessions are run by experienced staff and volunteers who focus on getting children active through a variety of sports or community centre based activities, and will be held at Wonford, Merivale Park, Cranbrook and Tiverton.

PL kicks sessions will run throughout the year and will take place at Merivale on Thursdays from 17.30-18.30 (8-19 years), at Wonford on Fridays from 16.30-18.30 (8-12 years) and 17:30-19:30 (13-19 years), at Cranbrook Education Campus on Saturdays from 18:00-19:00 (8-12 years) and 19.00-20.00 (13-19 years) and, starting from 27 September, at Tiverton Community Centre on Wednesdays from 18.30-20.30 (11-13 years).

Devon County Council’s cabinet member with special responsibility for Exeter, and the local member for Wearside and Topsham Councillor Andrew Leadbetter said: “I speak on behalf of all my colleagues when I say we are delighted to support the Premier Kicks project. It’s an excellent scheme which aims to get more young people involved in sport, and is a continuation of the great work Exeter City FC is doing in the community.”

Devon County Council’s local member for Exwick and St Thomas Councillor Rob Hannaford said: “I am so pleased to be able to lend my support to this scheme. It’s great to see local groups working together to help young people lead more active lives while building stronger and safer communities. One of the centres is in my division, and I’m delighted that Exwick and St Thomas will see some of the benefits.”

Catherine White, Senior Development Manager at City Community Trust said: “We are delighted to have received both recognition and additional financial support from Devon County Council local councillors for our Kicks project, this has allowed us to expand & enhance our sessions, providing much-needed positive activities in areas often of high need across the County.”