Calverley United Junior Football Club has come together over the difficult last year we’ve all faced and offered everyone involved support, encouragement and hope. They’ve worked hard to become a Community Charter Standard Club, achieved last year, and their acceptance as a new Wildcats Centre, helping further grow local girl’s access to football and fitness. The hard work behind the scenes often goes unnoticed but the Club does so many things, like as developing a Youth Committee to help inform the Club’s DNA, improving the whole experience for everyone involved.
The positive impact in the local community is truly phenomenal. They’ve grown the girls game from 5 girls, on a mixed team 4 years ago, to nearly 100 girls training and playing regularly, and their first ever girls’ team reached the West Riding Cup Final last year. Behind the scenes volunteers have worked really hard to help improve access to better pitches and facilities. During lockdown the club inspired over 180 players and coaches to contribute to the #PassTheBallNotTheVirus challenge, just one example that shows what an impressive, inclusive, and well-loved community club they are.
They’re a small village club which has doubled in size over the last 5 years, even though there are a lot of clubs nearby with huge catchment areas and all without an official clubhouse and limited use of pitches. It’s the volunteers that makes the club stand out, they really do inspire the children from the local community, and further afield, to be the best they can be. They’ve come together to raise money for community, school and sports defibrillators and they’ve worked so hard to ensure that each return to football following lockdown is as safe, and fun, as it possibly can be.
It was also double delight for the club to see that Luke Cooper had also won Coach of the Year for youth players. Congratulations to everyone at the club.
We have completed our Around (Through) the World challenge in flying colours, with a week to go and 500km over what we needed!
With JustGiving and cash totals, we have also raised a staggering £1649!
This will all go towards the David Cooper Memorial fund and in doing so, it will be there to purchase another defibrillator for a community, school or sports club as well go towards the upkeep of the 7 other defibrillators we have been a part of fundraising for.
The idea of the challenge was to also give players and their families that extra little motivation to get out and get moving in whatever way, which has been important more than ever during this third lockdown! And maybe a boost for some to go the extra mile than what they already do! And I really hope that it has helped to do just that.
I (Luke) just want to say the most massive well done and thank you to everyone who has got involved with the challenge and supported it by donating. You are all incredible.
Meeting Number (access code): 137 517 6675
Meeting password: snSriCXC683
Join meeting: https://brightcloud.webex.com/brightcloud/j.php?MTID=m3049da3f2bde6179d84a9f6244a6181b
As well as an opportunity for all members to have their say and discuss any matters important to them, an election for the following club committee roles will take place:
- Chairperson
- Vice Chairperson
- Club Secretary
- Treasurer
- Club Welfare Officer
- Lettings Officer
- Registration Officer
- Football Development Officer
- Website/Social Media/Press Officer
- Club Development Officer (x2)
- General Committee Member(s)
The format of the tournament this year will consist of 7x 7v7 teams made up of the player's parents and coaches. There will be most likely someone you know who is playing so please come down and support them, or regardless, just enjoy some good old competitive football whilst supporting an important community cause. All details can be found in the picture above.
All of the money raised from this year's tournament will go towards another defibrillator for somewhere in and around the community. All of the proceeds will go towards the defibrillator fund.
The club are delighted to announce they are having another club photo day for the 2019-20 season, sponsored by Club Legends! It will be held on Saturday the 28th September at Calverley Cricket Club. Timings are as follows:
- 10.00am U13 Boys
- 10.15am U6 Boys
- 10.30am U6 Girls
- 10.50am U7 Boys
- 11.10am U15 Boys
- 11.30am U7 Girls
- 11.50am U8 Boys
- 12.10pm U9 Boys
- 12.30pm U9 Girls
- 12.40pm U10 Boys
- 13.00pm U11 Boys
- 13.10pm U12 Boys
- 13.30pm U14 Boys
- 13.45pm U5s
The great news is that there is no cost for anyone involved and you only need to be there for around 10 minutes. Just take a look at this video here for all the information that you may need about how the day works: https://youtube.com/watch?v=UaMeE90rKDs. If you have children in different age-groups, you may bring them both to one of the time slots to have their photos taken at the same time.
There is no requirement to buy any of the photos but we are sure that all of our players will look fantastic and feel the part when they see them. For anyone interested in what the photos may look like and products available after the photo shoot just visit this link: http://www.clublegends.co.uk/products-and-prices/#football
Please be aware at some point you will receive a text message and/or email confirming your child's details and time slot. Please ensure that these details are correct, write the date, time and venue down in the diary and we will look forward to seeing you on the day. Oh and make sure your child remembers their full kit and cheesiest smiles!
Luke said "As most will know, this June, it will be four years since I lost my Dad, to sudden cardiac arrest on a family holiday abroad. My Dad was a big supporter of the Calverley community and the local football club, chairing the junior section and running a team.
When my Dad suffered a heart attack, there was no defibrillator nearby and with being abroad, my Dad was not fortunate to get a fast response from an Ambulance either, as we would have here in England. My Dad was never diagnosed with a heart condition, despite the signals and going to the doctors for it. The point being, is that cardiac arrest can happen to anyone without any warning, even the young, fit and healthy. It has been recorded on average that 270 children die in the UK every year after suffering sudden cardiac arrest at school. Therefore, it is so important that schools, sports clubs and community groups have quick access to a defibrillator. A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, their chance of survival increases from 6% to 74%. For every minute it takes for the defibrillator to reach someone and deliver a shock, their chances of survival reduce by up to 10%.
I am proud that me, my family and Calverley United Junior Football Club could raise the funds for what is now the 7th defibrillator we have been a part of attaining for in and around the community. Hopefully they never have to be used but it is assuring to know that they are in place. I hope that as well as this, that more people can be trained to carry out First Aid, CPR and use a defibrillator effectively. Thanks again to everyone who has supported me, my family and the football club in our fundraising efforts."
