Justin Tomlinson MP Backs Newly Established Draycott Football Academy

Local MP and sports fan Justin Tomlinson has shown his support for the newly established Draycott Football Academy, which is an additional venture on top of the well-known Draycott Sports Camp.

Justin has supported local PE teacher Mark Draycott as he establishes clubs and groups which help to get more young people active. The Football Academy is a new club which runs on a Saturday morning at the brand new Swindome at Supermarine Football Club.

Whereas the Sports Camps are for those who want to join in with a whole range of different activities, the academy is specifically for those (aged 5-14) who want to develop their technical ability and understanding of the game.

The first session of the Academy was on Saturday and was already proving popular with 67 kids attending the Swindome. Justin joined the group to talk football, join in with some of the drills and take a team photo.

Only recently it was announced that the Government would be spending £415 million to help provide a longer school day providing new facilities or improve existing ones to make it easier for a range of extra-curricular activities to be provided. This followed an active campaign by Justin to use the Soft Drinks Levy (better known as the Sugar Tax) to deliver more sport in schools and promote healthier options.

During that campaign Justin used the example of Mark Draycott and his Sports Camps to highlight the sort of set-up that could be helping kids all over the country to get more active.

Justin Tomlinson MP said: “It was great to come along to the Football Academy and support Mark’s latest venture. There was a real mix of ages and both boy and girls were enjoying the professional training to build their skills and enjoy themselves. It’s also great to see the Swindome in action, the state-of-the-art facility with its unique 3G pitch has taken a lot of planning so to see it as a hive of activity on a Saturday morning is fantastic.”