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Published: Tuesday, 24 January 2023 16:47

Poole Town Kids Initiative (KI) have helped to establish 2 new football teams for Bayside Academy, a primary school in Turlin Moor, Poole. The package of help was comprehensive with us supplying 2 new full team strips, reconditioned boots from our Boot Room scheme, shin pads, goalie gloves, pop-up goals, corner flags, assistant ref flags as well as 12 free, group coaching sessions provided by our coaching partners, Step into Sport.

The 2 new teams proudly display their new kits together with Bayside Principal Matt Vernon (right), teacher and FA qualified coach, Emma Moorcock (centre) and Club director and Kids Initiative principal, Richard Gale (left).

Club director Richard Gale commented ‘This has been a tremendous team effort to provide a huge amount of assistance to the school with some of the kit being provided by our Youth Section, Poole Town Wessex and with financial assistance being provided from local accountancy firm, Morris Lane. The Kids Initiative has made a name for itself by providing thousands of free training sessions for local children but now we are looking to expand our help into schools as well. We are promoting the creating of new teams in local schools at the same time as launching our School Award Tickets.’

The school went onto say 'Our children have been so empowered by the support from Poole Town FC this term. Not only have they provided us with kit but also focussed weekly football coaching to help our team to develop. As a school with over 50% of pupils accessing free school meals, this help has allowed our children the boots, shin pads and shirts to not only allow them to take part in shared sport, but also develop a sense of pride in their belonging to a team. We have also improved our results on the pitch, with our Ladies Team gaining a famous victory a couple of weeks ago! Thank you so much Poole Town FC!'

The KI are not letting the grass grow under their feet.

Talks are under way with another local school, again without any teams, to help them establish at least one team during the course of this term.