Football fan and local MP, Justin Tomlinson, has visited the brand-new Swindon Town FC Community Foundation facilities next door to the County Ground.
The facility was secured thanks to funding from a variety of sources including the Football Foundation, Government, and the Nigel Eady Trust.
Founded in 1991, the club’s community foundation is run by its head Jon Holloway, who has transformed it into a thriving organisation which supports the local community and provides wonderful opportunities for all.
Through a number of different programmes, the community trust aims to provide everyone with the chance to enjoy football and increase participation for people from 18 months to 91 years of age. They run a mini-foundation programme, girls’ teams, walking football, disability football and an over 50’s activities programme.
Alongside Barnardo’s , they also run ‘Project Me’ which is designed to support children with mild to moderate mental health conditions including social anxiety and behavioural disorders. The programme uses sport and activity to support positive mental health and encourage social inclusion.
Justin has been a long-standing proponent of the power of sport and has worked tirelessly both locally & nationally to ensure that everybody, regardless of ability or disability, can take part. Having welcomed the Swindon Town Community Foundation to Parliament earlier in the year to recognise the fantastic work they are doing; Justin has now visited the summer holiday programme in action.
Justin commented, “This is a really wonderful, multi-million-pound facility which I am proud to have supported at every stage of the planning process. It has transformed the area and provided the community foundation a strong stage to carry out it’s fantastic work throughout our town. Jon and his team do incredible work to make everybody feel a part of the wonderful Swindon Town family and I am really delighted that so many youngsters and others are benefiting. This is something that we as a town and a Football Club can be very proud of.”
