YOUTH development bosses at York City are bracing themselves for their biggest battle yet - raising the £30,000 needed to fund the 'essential' Centre of Excellence.
Reports initially suggested that £120,000 would be needed to maintain the club's Centre of Excellence, which is run for nine-years-olds up to the age of 16. But Graham Kilby, founder of the club's admirable Youth Development Fund and its current treasurer, confirmed to the Evening Press that it cost in the region of £30,000 a year to run the Centre.
And he added that that target was gettable despite the club's fans having gone to the well so often so recently.
Kilby told the Evening Press that initiatives were now in place to raise the cash necessary to keep in operation a centre that he believed contributed so much to the welfare of the Minstermen.
Said Kilby: "It is absolutely vital that the Centre of Excellence keeps going.
"The future welfare of the football club depends on a successful youth policy. That's why it is essential the Centre of Excellence is sustained."
City's youth programme is divided into two - the youth training scheme and scholarship system from the age of 16 when youngsters earn contracts from the club, and the Centre of Excellence, which trains the cream of youngsters from the age of nine to 16.
This week's announcement by which parents of youngsters attending the Centre have been asked to contribute £200 towards the programme's running costs would go towards realising the eventual £30,000.
Kilby stressed that all that money goes to the Centre and the Centre alone.
He added: "It is an achievable target. The YDF already raises about £10,000 per year through various fund-raising events and sponsorship.
"The parents' contribution will go towards the final total, but we have other fund-raising activities that hopefully people will want to take up, such as team sponsorship, travel sponsorship or hiring of facilities sponsorship."
If anyone is interested they can contact Kilby during office hours tel York 430990 or City's youth development director Steve Beck tel 632102.
Updated: 10:23 Saturday, April 30, 2005
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