Football Focus Issue 71 | Page 31

Whickham Fellside Youth football and we encourage our players to participate in community events. We play a significant part in the Remembrance Day Service at Whickham and our teams are well supported by local businesses and individuals. We offer our facilities to the community for many events including Cross Country Runs; Walks; Tournaments; Cycle Rides; Charity Events amongst many others. We believe that as a Community Club we have a role and duty to put something back into our Community. We have strong links with other Community Groups and are recognised as a great participant in all that goes on around us.” Facilities “In the mid 1990’s we were asked to occupy the pitches at Watergate Park following a redevelopment of this magnificent area in the Lobley Hill part of Gateshead. A new Clubhouse and Changing Facility were built and we took the 35 year Lease in 2014 and are now responsible for our Clubhouse and Pitches. We are continuing to develop the site as a Partnership with many organisations including Emmanuel College and have set up a CIC company which runs our cafeteria (Watergate Café) attached to the Clubhouse in an extension built in 2015. This serves our Club on match and training days but is also open to the general public and community to enjoy the refreshments on offer.” The Future “I believe having the firm foundation we have secured will see our future as a bright one. Not being complacent is imperative and we must meet the challenges ahead as we deal with young children, their families and their expectations. Recent revelations in Child Abuse within football and sport have focussed our governing bodies to make this their major priority in securing the confidence of players and parents and we work tirelessly towards this. All our Coaches have to be qualified and have the necessary CRB Clearance. Financial stability is a massive part of what we need to secure for our Club and its future. However the most important aspect is to make sure that our members enjoy their football and their time with our Club; that parents are happy that their child is looked after in a safe and secure environment and that we can continue to offer coaching of the highest standard. We need to support our Coaches, their Assistants and enable them to value their voluntary committed time for the benefit of their players and our Club. We can only do all of this with continued hard work, looking at what is expected from us and by us and working with all the football authorities and our parents to achieve this. The most important ambition of the Club is make the safety and security of our players the foremost responsibility of our Management Committee and to continue to be an integral part of community life.” www.footballfocusmag.com 31