An ambitious football club is showing the opposition a clean pair of heels – after getting a new on-site laundry room.
The development at Colwyn Bay Football Club was made possible by the Cartrefi Conwy Community Chest Grant of £4,405
The club, which is pushing for a play-off place in the Skrill Conference North League, used the money to buy washing machines, driers and to transform and old storage room into a fully-fitted laundry.
Colwyn Bay FC director, Andy Keep, a retired director of education and former Prestatyn High School head teacher, says the grant means it will be easier for the club to run more community teams.
He said: “Previously we were taking dirty kits to laundrettes but as we have increased the number of teams we run, and taking into account the community work we do as a club, it made sense to try and have our own on site laundry facility.
“As well as the first team we run a reserve side and a wide range of youth teams from ages four up to 18. We are also staring girls’ under 12, 14 and 16 teams from September with training already taking place.
“The players that make up these sides all come from the local area and represent a number of communities.”
He added: “In addition, as a club, we are involved with the North Wales Futsal Project which is aimed at getting unemployed people back into work. The 12-week courses are football-based but include numeracy and literacy as well as interview skills and how to write CV’s and covering letters.
“The addition of our laundry room means we can also include some life skills within the course.
“The Cartrefi Conwy Community Chest Grant of more than £4,400 has proved fantastic for us as a club and the wider community. It’s particularly welcome when you consider the board that decides on grant applications is made up of tenants.
“However, I have to say I received a great deal of help from Cartrefi Conwy staff when making the application, which was really useful.”
Cartrefi Conwy Community Chest administrator Sarah Jones is delighted the football club’s application for a grant was successful.
She said: “The development of the club’s own laundry facility met all the criteria for a grant as it clearly benefits the wider community and will contribute a great deal to the area in general.
“It’s important grants are decided upon, not by members of Cartrefi Conwy staff, but by a panel made up of tenants nominated by the Tenants’ Forum alongside an individual board member.
“It is our role as Cartrefi Conwy staff to help the panel by offering administrative support and ensuring Community Chest rules are adhered to.”
Nerys Owen-Jones, a Cartrefi Conwy representative and part of the Community Chest says she is delighted Colwyn Bay Football Club received the grant.
She said: “This grant will clearly help the club support more members of the community. The work being done with the North Wales Futsal Project is particularly important.
“These courses are benefiting local unemployed people helping them get back into work by teaching a range of skills based on Futsal.”
She added: “Grants are available for the purchase of specific items or towards specific pieces of work. Money assigned through the Community Chest scheme helps Cartrefi Conwy achieve our aim of creating communities to be proud of.”
Unemployed, Keith Meadows, 21, of Old Colwyn has just completed a Futsal course at Colwyn Bay FC and says he is now hoping to rejoin the Royal Navy.
He said: “A few years ago I got to the last few days of basic training when my grandmother, who I was very close to, died. I was in a mess and they told me to go home and re-apply when I felt able.
“The course has been really good and helped me build some self-confidence as well as improving my fitness. As well as learning how to write CV’s and letters we have learnt some life skills including using the new laundry at the club.
“I think its really good the club was able to set up it’s own laundry thanks to the grant they received. It will help lots of people from the local area which has to be a good thing.”
Daniel Kemp, 29, of Colwyn Bay, also attended the Futsal course and says he has been unemployed for more than two years.
He said: “It has been really good and helped me gain more experience as a football coach which is something I really want to do. My plan is to find a full-time job while completing all the football coaching badges that I can.
“It’s excellent that Colwyn Bay Football Club has been given this Cartrefi Conwy grant. Being involved with a lot of youth football I know it’s quite difficult to get piles of kit washed and dried.
“The facility will make a big difference to the club and all its players as well as being useful to people attending these Futsal courses.”
The next Project Futsal course at Colwyn Bay FC will start on Wednesday, February 19. The course is free to anyone who is unemployed and over 16.
For more information about the course contact: Carol Beard 07595894622 or email [email protected] or go to www.projectfutsal.org.uk or www.colwynbayfc.co.uk. For more information on Cartrefi Conwy’s Community Chest scheme or for an application form call 01745 335347.
