Launched in February 2016, the AFCB Cherries Community Fund provides financial assistance to projects that help young people and vulnerable groups, or those that promote a healthy lifestyle in Bournemouth.

Funded by the popular Matchday Draw and any other club donations, the first round of the Cherries Community Fund chose 3 local projects including £200 for “Be Yourself Everybody Else Is Taken” a Healthwatch Dorset children & young peoples promotion. The “Be Yourself” project for young people aged between 11-25 years is designed to encourage creative feedback about local health and social care services in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset.

Emilia Chase from Healthwatch Dorset explains, “we’re delighted to gain this support from our premier league football club. The Be Yourself project has gathered some fantastic artwork, photography, poetry and video diaries so far. But we want to encourage more young people to get creative and take part, particularly young men, and the Cherries funding will help us run workshops with local schools, colleges and young carers groups.”

To find out more about the “Be Yourself” project www.healthwatchdorset.co.uk or call Emilia on 0300 111 0102.

The other projects funded were a donation of £900 towards new shower facilities at Gillingham Town Youth FC and £300 towards new kits for the girls team at Sir John Colfox Academy in Bridport.

AFC Bournemouth chairman Jeff Mostyn, longest-serving player Marc Pugh and head of community sports trust Steve Cuss sat on a three-man panel to judge how the first set of funds should be allocated.

And Mostyn was delighted to be able to provide financial support to three worthy causes. “It’s great to be able to see this money used for the benefit of the local community,” commented the chairman.

“As a club, our bond with the local area is unique. And as we continue to progress on the field in the Premier League, it’s vital that we continually reaffirm our status at the heartbeat of the community.

“We hope that this money will help in the aim of promoting active and healthy lifestyles in Bournemouth and I look forward to seeing the Cherries Community Fund help many other worthy causes over the coming years.”

Cherries winger Pugh also commented, “As a panel, we deliberated long and hard trying to choose the projects that we felt would benefit most from this funding.

“The process has been a real pleasure to be a part of, and I am looking forward to seeing how the funding will help each project in the long run – I hope it can have a big impact!”

Local groups can put in applications for up to £1000 worth of funding from the Cherries Community Fund. To apply, please look on the AFCB website or email: [email protected]

The next panel will sit in June and 31st May 2016 is the application deadline.

To report this post you need to login first.
Previous articleFACT CHECKING WEEKLY 20/5/2016
Next articleWhy We Need to Fight Climate Change to End the Refugee Crisis
Dorset Eye
Dorset Eye is an independent not for profit news website built to empower all people to have a voice. To be sustainable Dorset Eye needs your support. Please help us to deliver independent citizen news... by clicking the link below and contributing. Your support means everything for the future of Dorset Eye. Thank you.