REDDITCH United have been awarded a grant from the Barclays Community Football Fund delivered in partnership with Sported.
The club currently engages with more than 500 children and young people aged six to 18 years old every week.
The grant will allow the club to enhance their work within all strands of their existing engagement and continue their work in the local community.
Redditch United’s community officer, Balvinder Shekhon, said: “We are very pleased to be working in partnership with Barclays and Sported.
“This funding will support us to enhance and evolve our community provision for girls’ football.
“We are excited and looking forward to working alongside our key partners to ensure we increase awareness and engage all communities within Redditch.”
The Reds hope the funding will allow it to enhance its girls-only sessions by utilising music, fashion and media.
This will be delivered by 30 minutes of multi-skills and football activities and 30 minutes of interactive classroom-based activities to support children with their homework.
Redditch United hopes to add a further 20 girls aged five to 12 to its current cohort and would like to enhance what it offers with regard to SEND (Special Educational Needs or Disability) provision in primary schools.
The club currently has 35 children who attend weekly after-school sessions delivered at the Trico Stadium and wants to add another 35 participants with three additional coaches. And 65 club staff, community coaches and volunteers will complete the online inclusion CPD courses.
The Barclays Community Football Fund was launched in 2022 and offers grants and support resources to grassroots groups.
The fund primarily supports young people in deprived or underrepresented areas through local organisations.
Sported is the largest network of community groups in the UK, supporting more than 2,600 groups to help disadvantaged young people build confidence, gain skills and get their lives on track.
Sported chief executive Nicola Walker added: “Groups like Redditch United make a real difference in the lives of young people and it’s so important they get the support and resources they need to sustain their good work.
“Through Sported’s partnership with Barclays, we want to widen the net of opportunities and this new football project will give more girls in the area the chance to get a kick out of the sport.”
