A RACE for votes has started as a York football club and a youth organisation appeal for public support to help them win £200,000.

Fulford Football Club and Door 84 Youth Club are the only York groups among the 30 finalists, chosen from more than 5,000 nominations from across the UK, which are now vying for the investment.

Public voting is now open in the Persimmon Healthy Communities contest; the winning group will secure £200,000 to create their own local sporting legacy.

Since May 2017 Persimmon Healthy Communities have donated £180,000 to provide kit and equipment to 240 sports teams nationally. The final 30 groups will each receive at least £5,000, with two runners-up getting £50,000 each and the overall winner taking the top cash prize.

“This opportunity will not come again,” said Graham Souter, of Fulford Football Club, in a plea for votes from other clubs and supporters. People have a maximum of one vote per day.

Fulford - an FA Charter Standard Community Club - has 30 teams affiliated with the East Riding County FA and around 360 playing members.

It has mixed teams from U6s to U16s and girls-only teams from U10s to U18s, a boys U19s squad and two senior men’s teams.

“We are one of the biggest football clubs affiliated with the ERCFA,” said Graham. “For such a large club our biggest issue is, and always has been, the lack of a suitable home facility within Fulford itself.

“We are pinning a lot of our hopes on additional land being made available for sport and recreation as part of the local Germany Beck development. The additional land is attached to the current Fulford Parish field and will almost double the size of the sports area available to us and the community.

“We have the full backing of the FA and Football Foundation for our proposals for a new community sports facility on this land which will benefit the community, the local Fulford community sports club and give Fulford FC the home venue it needs and deserves.”

Also in the running is Door 84 youth club in the Groves which provides activities for people, aged eight to 25. It opens three nights a week, has more than 800 registered people, with about 100 attendees a week, paying £1 per session. 

Door 84 actively encourages health, wellbeing and fitness through a variety of activities including football, rugby, boxing, canoeing, abseiling, climbing and healthy cooking programmes.

Ashley Jones, acting centre manager at Door 84 Youth Club, said: “Everyone at the club is thrilled with the news. Last year we were awarded Active York Sports Award for being the Youth Group Provider of the Year 2017 which we’re extremely proud of.

“If we are lucky enough to win this amazing amount of money, the funds will be used to update our facilities and provide an exciting range of sporting activities for our young people to engage in and give them the opportunity to have access to activities they may not be able to access elsewhere."

Vote for Fulford Football Club or Door 84  at https://www.persimmonhomes.com/healthy-communities