Stafford Soccer Mums FC is celebrating a funding goal, with a grant from Homes Plus, a Housing Plus Group company.
The Homes Plus My Community Fund supports grass roots organisations in Staffordshire and Shropshire. A grant of £500 from this fund will be used to provide new kit and equipment for the women’s football club, which brings together enthusiastic players of all ages.
Homes Plus director of housing, Samantha Allcott, said: “We set out to make a positive difference to homes, lives and communities. One of the ways that we do that is by backing fantastic projects run by voluntary groups and organisations, in the areas where we work. We were pleased to help Stafford Soccer Mums FC, which is doing so much to support the health and wellbeing of women, many of whom are playing football for the first time.”
Stafford Soccer Mums FC was established in 2016, after parents taking their children for coaching were themselves inspired to take up football. Now the club, based at Stafford Town’s Evans Park Ground, operates four teams and has around 50 players aged between 22 and 59. It has experienced an influx of players encouraged by the success of the England women’s national team.
Team manager Will Conaghan said: “The club is about more than playing football. It is helping women get fit, as well as improving their mental health, connecting with people, and gaining confidence. Some of the members say that it has become their lifeline. We are incredibly grateful for the grant from the Homes Plus My Community Fund, which will help the club continue to grow.”
Many of the mums did not benefit from the playing opportunities available to their own daughters. One woman remembers taking part in a sit-down protest after being told that she could not play football at school and another player explained: “This is something a schoolgirl of the 1970s could only dream about. We watched the boys play football, but it was never an option for us.”
Samantha Allcott added: “I was delighted to be able to meet some of the players and to learn how football is allowing them to train and succeed as part of a team. For these women football is bringing lasting benefits and we wanted to lend our support.”
Local charities and voluntary groups can apply for funding from the Homes Plus My Community fund online: https://housingplusgroup.co.uk/sponsorship