New non-profit sports club hopes to make sport accessible to all with free sessions

Photo: JMSportPix

Football

A new non-profit sports club is hoping to make sport accessible for all children with free sports sessions.

Active Future Coaching will be offering free football sessions every Monday and Thursday at St Mary’s R.C. Primary School in Middleton from 17 June.

The sessions are at 6.30pm – 7.30pm every Monday and Thursday for children in Year 1, 2 and 3, with provisions to move to all primary school age groups soon.

Manager Harry Wilson, who coaches primary school children in Stockport, said: “The sessions are for everyone in those age groups; we’re an all-inclusive club that aims to give every child, regardless of background, to have sporting and social opportunities.”

Active Future Coaching is made up of Harry and a group of coaches from a partnership with Rochdale Sacred Heart Football Academy (RSHFA), which provides young aspiring footballers the chance to develop the skills and qualifications needed to coach football.

Harry added: “I have come from RSHFA, so it’s nice to now have the platform to be able to create this partnership.”

Harry, who also coaches Stockport County Ladies Under 12s, started the group when a family friend asked about coaching her son and the lack of affordable options in the area.

“With that in mind and no doubt I could make a difference, I decided to set up Active Future Coaching,” he continued.

“It’s important to us all at AFC that every child has the platform to play sport and make friends in a safe and fun environment. We’re a non-profit club, so we only charge what we must to cover costs, which hopefully a few sponsors will help out with.

“We hope that with our attitude of having the community at heart, we can make a difference.

The group hopes to build slowly into other sports, such as dodgeball and netball.

Sessions start on Monday 17 June, with following sessions on Thursday 20 June, Monday 24 June and Thursday 27 June – free of charge.

Sessions will then continue, subject to enough interest, every Monday and Thursday.