Thanks to the efforts of Sheffield business Office Friendly, a local football club have the funding they need to keep working with vulnerable children and young people.
In 2018, Office Friendly fundraised so they could give out grant awards locally. The staff team pitched in to raise the money through sponsored walks, football matches, painting walls and much more. Now, after all that hard work they are seeing the results of their efforts.
Aden Steelers is a community based football club in South Sheffield ran completely by volunteers. The Club provides a safe and fun environment for BME children up to 16 years of age to play football at a grassroots level in the Sheffield Junior League.
The Club aims to build confidence and self-esteem in young people, to break down barriers and by doing so, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour in local areas of Sheffield. 148 young people from Upperthorpe, Pitsmoor, Burngreave, Page Hall, Darnall, Firth Park and Hillsborough, some of the most deprived areas of Sheffield, are currently supported by the FC.
The recent grant award to Aden Steelers had enabled the club to cover the cost of training volunteer coaches and to buy new equipment, made possible thanks to the dedication of the Office Friendly staff team.
Managing Director of Office Friendly, Julie Hawley said: “Office Friendly are a cooperative supporting SME businesses across the UK. We took an important step last year to partner with SYCF and created a community fund. This has enabled us to raise money for small local volunteer groups which reflect the community spirit we are used to operating in. We are delighted that we have been able to support Aden Steelers with their endeavours to bring the younger generations together through football and think it’s a terrific way of engaging families in the community.”
Six new coaches have now been trained with the required skills they need to run more clubs. Thanks to the funding, new under 7’s and under 10’s clubs will start next season.
The funding was distributed through grant making charity, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF). SYCF specialise in working with local businesses to give back to the communities they live and work within.
Michelle Dickinson, Corporate Relationships Manager at SYCF said: “The Office Friendly team are a dedicated and passionate bunch and so far it has been a pleasure help them achieve their fundraising goals.
“We are lucky to have so many businesses in South Yorkshire who are supporting local communities in partnership with SYCF, like Office Friendly.”
