Barratt homes provides £1,000 helping hand for grassroots football club

Barratt Homes Manchester has donated £1,000 to Hattersley Football Club to help with running costs and to put their staff through higher level coaching badges.

Originally founded in 2001, in 2017 the club took steps to open a small football academy that operates on Saturday mornings with the view of providing a higher level of coaching to the children in the area. Altogether, Hattersley FC has nine teams of various ages which has ensured accessible football lessons from the age of four years old and upwards.

The club’s home games are played at the Ken Ward Centre in Hattersley, which offers a wealth of indoor fitness and gymnastics areas, a swimming pool, multiple classes and, of course, a football pitch.

Gareth Howell, Chairman at Hattersley FC, said: “At Hattersley FC we are a grassroots team that aims to offer football to every child in our area. We want to provide a safe environment for the children to exercise and play with their friends.

“Not only is this great for their physical health, but being able to meet and make new friends is incredibly beneficial for their mental health.

“This contribution from Barratt Homes is very important to our club as it will enable us to keep our monthly fees as low as possible, which means that we are still accessible to all children in what is still considered a deprived area.”

The club has had a major success story in the form of Anthony Elanga. Having played for the Hattersley FC Under 13’s, the Swedish winger impressed Manchester United at a trial session and was signed. Elanga, now 19, made his professional debut in the Premier League in May 2021.

The pandemic was a testing time for many charities and organisations across the UK, and Hattersley FC was no different. Although the club was forced to shut down one of its teams and lose some players, it adapted well and came out of the pandemic with heads held high.

Gareth added: “Over 90% of our players are from the estate where we are based. Since the pandemic we have actually started to grow and have seen a rather sudden intake of participants.

“Due to this we have had to pay for extra kit, equipment and training sessions. With the help of this donation we can continue to offer this service to our local community and continue to grow even bigger.”

Neil Goodwin, Managing Director of Barratt Homes Manchester, said: “As a leading developer it is really important that we support the community in the areas in which we build.

“Hattersley Football Club is doing great work in the local area to offer children a safe and productive environment for them to make new friends and practice their skills. We are very proud to support the club and we wish everyone the best of luck in achieving their coaching badges.

In times like these, we’re encouraging more people to support their local community where possible and few organisations represent the heart of the local community like Hattersley FC.”

For more information about Hattersley Football Club, visit https://www.hattersleyfootballclub.co.uk/.