AFC Wimbledon tackles child poverty with sporting programme for disadvantaged children
Club’s sporting programme to tackle child poverty AFC Wimbledon aims to use the power of football to beat child poverty.
The AFC Wimbledon Foundation is launching a summer programme to help disadvantaged children in Mitcham – and supporters can do their bit to reach the £10,000 target.
About 700,000 London children struggle for food during the school holidays and the foundation’s Kitchen Social scheme is aiming to make a difference.
Last Saturday’s AFC Wimbledon Foundation Day focused on raising funds for a four-week summer holiday activity programme.
In partnership with Phipps Bridge Youth Centre, it aims to help 30 disadvantaged children (aged seven to 13) every day.
AFC Wimbledon Foundation director Phil Rudling said: “As a foundation, we had been looking for a real focus to work towards.
We’ve done some excellent work in the past in the community, but with the club going back to Merton, we want to make sure that we are actively making a difference in our home borough.
“The areas we are going to work in have been identified as places that don’t really get enough resources and we will be trying to make a difference.
“We are planning a new project called Kitchen Social. It is linked to the Mayor’s Fund for London with a plan to target families in the community that are struggling to provide a full programme of physical activity during the summer.
“A key part of it is that we will also provide a hot meal during the day.
During the school holidays, kids that are on free meals during term time do not always get quality, hot meals, during the break. We can help
to meet that gap for those families during the summer holidays.
“We will be trying to provide good nutrition for the kids and good physical activity as well, along with creative arts, which will run alongside it.
“We are planning to run a four-week programme consisting of sports, creative arts, and we will do some mentoring support as well.
It will not just be football as we will run other activities including short
tennis, kwik cricket, athletics, and netball.
These are sports that we run regularly through our programmes.
“It would be great If we can get a contribution from supporters and other people in the community to help us reach the £10,000 target. Apart from the football on the pitch, this type of project shows what our club can be all about.”
To donate visit the AFC Wimbledon Foundation website at https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/afcwimbledonfoundation.
When donating, please write Kitchen Social in the comment box.
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