Football club for youngsters applies for charity cash

The Press has teamed up with The Jane Tomlinson Appeal to donate £30,000 to good causes across the city.

Wilberfoss Playing Fields Association has applied for part of the cash to help fund new changing rooms and disabled facilities.

In a letter to the panel of judges, Paul Gibney, speaking on behalf of the organisation, said it needed funds to help match a possible £20,000 grant from the Football Association.

The overall cost of refurbishing the facilities is about £50,000.

Mr Gibney said: “We currently have a very successful football club which includes five children’s teams, ranging from under-eights to under-16s, but our changing room facilities are totally inadequate and are in desperately in need of refurbishment.

“With the ever-changing laws governing provisions for children, our changing rooms don’t meet the minimum standards set out by the Government and we don’t have any disabled facility.

“This means we run the risk of having to disband our children’s teams.

“Although we regularly fundraise, most of the money raised has to be used to pay for the running costs of the building and we are struggling to build up any reserve.

“A contribution, any size, would help us to achieve our goal of matching the £20,000 from the FA and will allow us to continue to provide an outlet for the children of Wilberfoss and surrounding towns and villages.”

Grant recipients will be informed in April and the funds will be distributed shortly afterwards.

To apply for an award from the Big Charity Giveaway, fill in the coupon with your details, with relevant attachment. The maximum donation to a single charity will be £15,000 and organisations can apply for amounts from £100 upwards.

All applicants must be registered charities and children’s charities will receive priority.

A panel from The Press, together with business and council representatives and long-term supporters of the Run For All charity, will decide on the recipients.