REDDITCH United and Alvechurch have faced a year like no other in 2020 but help could soon be at hand thanks to the Trident Community Foundation.
Pitching In Southern League clubs such as the Reds and Church now have the chance to apply for grants of up to £5,000 to help establish community-focused projects with the aim of developing young talent, promoting non-League football to a wider audience and attracting volunteers.
The Trident Community Foundation has been founded by a combination of Entain’s grassroots sport investment programme, Pitching In and the three Trident Leagues – the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues.
Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, has donated £150,000 to establish the TCF Fund for distribution over the remainder of the 2020/21 season and the project has the firm backing of Pitching In ambassador Stuart Pearce.
“Initiatives like this are close to my heart as I am proud of my non-League background,” said Pearce, who began his career with Wealdstone before going on to win 78 England caps.
“Non-League clubs are the hubs of their communities and people have connections to these clubs going back generations. Bringing people together, especially in these fractured times, is vitally important and initiatives such as this will help do that.
“The timing is absolutely spot on. The true mark of help is when people really need it and the football community at this level really needs it.
“I look forward to seeing the projects that get off the ground as a result of the Trident Community Foundation.”
Following a simple application process, potential projects will be reviewed by the TCF board – which will be chaired by David Emery, editor-in-chief of The Non-League Paper – and consists of three Trident League chairmen and two Entain representatives.
Anthony Hughes, vice-chairman of the Pitching in Southern League, is part of the TCF board and hailed “the most exciting news we have had in some time”.
“I can’t think of any time in our level of the game when it has been more appropriate to launch an initiative like the TCF Fund,” said Hughes.
“I know of numerous Southern League clubs who are waiting with bated breath for those application forms to arrive, so we look forward to receiving their ideas.
“It enables our clubs to have support and funding that is desperately needed at a level of the game that is often forgotten. Our clubs are the lifeblood of their local communities in terms of bringing people together and creating facilities for people of all ages to enjoy.
“No other country has a football pyramid like ours and it’s sponsorships like Pitching In and initiatives like the Trident Community Foundation which allow that to continue.”
With a mission statement of ‘no project too small’, grants will be capped at £5,000 in the first year of the TCF Fund but there are hopes this could rise in the future with the aid of additional investment.
Pitching In spokesperson Simon Clare said: “We are thrilled Pitching In is to be a founding partner of the Trident Community Foundation, along with the Trident leagues.
“We put this money in place to support the dreams, visions and plans of many clubs. We are open to all ideas and we can’t wait to see their plans.”
Trident Community Foundation chairman David Emery said: “I am very honoured and proud to have been asked to chair the TCF Fund board.
“I started covering non-League football at my local paper when I was 17 and it is the bedrock of our sport.
“The timing is perfect and we hope the leagues will start kicking off again very soon. Once they do so, the clubs can look forward with some optimism and these grants will help that.”
Entain – owner of Ladbrokes – has launched a multi-million-pound investment programme, Pitching In, designed to support and promote grassroots sports.
The programme includes a flagship partnership with the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues – collectively known as The Trident League – as well as a partnership with the UK sports charity SportsAid. For more details visit https://entaingroup.com/sustainability/pitching-in.
