The Centre in Livingston is to sponsor kit for Vennie United Community FC Under 12s.
A competition, which was launched last year and won by Mid Calder Colts 2014s team, is part of The Centre, Livingston’s ‘Support in the Community’ initiative. This scheme is designed to help various sports clubs, charities and social enterprises in the local community to raise awareness, funds and benefit from sponsorship opportunities.
The management team at The Centre, Livingston were inundated with entries again this year, but The Vennie’s letter, which highlighted the research into the lack of free sports opportunities for children in the area, stood out.
The Vennie is an organisation which provides educational and social opportunities, for children and young people, aged between 5 and 18. It is aimed at improving their developmental and life skills, building confidence and highlighting their talents and potential by introducing them to new learning activities and experiences.
The sponsorship application was submitted by SFA qualified sports coach, Jen McCusker, who also carried out the research whilst studying at West Lothian College.
Jen, who was awarded ‘Student of the Year’, was also a finalist in the national YouthLink Scotland Awards in the Health & Wellbeing category, in recognition of her outstanding work in youth sports at The Vennie and throughout West Lothian.
Following her research, Jen has since developed a new sports group, ‘Play On West Lothian’, in partnership with West Lothian College sports coaching students, to provide free seasonal camps and sports tuition for young people in the area.
The Vennie football programme was also created by Jen to give young boys and girls who attend the youth club access to coaching, which they are unable to take part in at school or in community clubs due to the costs or limited spaces.
It became apparent to everyone at The Vennie almost immediately, that there was a great deal of talent amongst the boys Under 12s football team which resulted in sourcing more resources to help develop the team further and being formally registered by the SFA as Vennie Community Football Club this week.
The team train with Jen and the coaches from ‘Play On West Lothian’ twice a week on a Tuesday and Friday at the Knightsridge Fivey and currently play a number of friendly games with teams across West Lothian, which will continue until they are officially placed in a league.
Jen said: “This is the first-ever football kits and boots the team have ever had, so it is a really exciting time for the players and everyone else at the club, especially as we have just been informed that we are now fully registered as Vennie United Community Football Club by the SFA.
“It has created a wonderful opportunity for footballers to play a sport which they are hugely passionate about and love, and it will also provide lots of opportunities that would not have been available to them otherwise.
“The power of sports can really change lives, which we see at the club every day and now that our young team of footballers have their own branded strips, which they will wear with so much pride, they’ll feel even more united and part of a team on the pitch.
“We are hugely grateful to The Centre, Livingston for this very kind donation and can’t thank them enough – this really is what fairy tales are made of.”
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are delighted to present Vennie United Community Football Club with their first-ever, branded kits and boots.
“The work that Jen and everyone at the club has been doing to provide these fantastic sporting opportunities for young people in the community is hugely commendable. We wish the team every success for the future.”
Clubs which also take place at The Vennie, include Tuesday Boys Club, 5pm – 7pm (P1+), Wednesday Creative Horizons 5pm – 7pm (9 years +), Girls Club 5pm – 7pm (P1+), Friday Club Session 1: 2pm -4pm (P1 -P6) and Friday Club Session 2: 4pm – 6pm (P7+) – which are all free to attend.
