The official charity of Sunderland AFC hosts a weekly session with the support of Parkinson鈥檚 UK to help those living with neurological diseases to stay active and social.

Kevin Ramsey, aged 54, is a long-time attendee of the walking football sessions after being diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 two years ago.

鈥淲hen I first started coming nearly a year and a half ago, there was only two of us,鈥� Kevin commented on the importance of the sessions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just grown and grown, now there鈥檚 11 or 12 of us. Before I came here, I didn鈥檛 know anybody with Parkinson鈥檚 disease, I didn鈥檛 know anything about neurological diseases.

鈥淪o it鈥檚 not just the fitness, it鈥檚 the mental side as well. Having other people who are going through the same things I鈥檓 going through really helps a lot.鈥�

On living with Parkinson鈥檚, Kevin added: 鈥淚 was diagnosed two years ago and I probably had symptoms for four to five years before that.

鈥淏eing a typical bloke, I ignored it and thought 鈥業鈥檒l be fine鈥� and my symptoms got progressively worse until I went to the doctor鈥檚.

鈥淚 went through a diagnosis period of around six or seven months, and ultimately I was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 disease.

鈥淎fter the uncertainty and stress of 鈥榳hat鈥檚 wrong with me, why don鈥檛 they just tell me,鈥� it actually came as a bit of a relief and I thought 鈥榦kay, this is what I鈥檝e got, now I can learn about it and can work out a plan of action to combat it as much as I can.鈥欌��

For those with Parkinson鈥檚, exercise is a vital component to maintaining balance, mobility and activities of daily living.

Kevin鈥檚 love of football brought him to the Foundation of Light鈥檚 neurological football sessions, and it has been a stepping stone to increasing his physical activity.

鈥淲ithout being able to come here on a Tuesday, I would just sit at home, vegetate, and waste away,鈥� he said on the impact playing walking football can have on managing symptoms.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to just sit on the sofa and go 鈥業 have a disease,鈥� whereas I鈥檝e joined a gym now, I come here, I go out for walks. You鈥檝e kind of got to force yourself to do something every day because exercise is great for the mind and the body.

鈥淎fter the session, just to sit down and talk to each other, find out what we鈥檙e all up to, find out what somebody鈥檚 been struggling with over a cup of tea and a biscuit. That鈥檚 just as important to me as the fitness and playing football.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the simple things that sometimes really help.鈥�

Another participant of the weekly sessions is 66-year-old Erika Cummings, who was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 disease in November 2022 just months before her retirement.

鈥淭here was a tremor for a good while, which I thought was down to anxiety. I think it鈥檚 a bit of both with me, but I was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚,鈥� she said.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 stop me, I鈥檓 very positive. Although some mornings you feel 鈥業 can鈥檛 be bothered鈥� and just the aching, the stiffness, and your head鈥檚 not in the same place, you鈥檝e just got to be positive.鈥�

Erika also stresses how participating both socially and physically can be vital for managing life with Parkinson鈥檚 disease, saying: 鈥淚t鈥檚 as though you haven鈥檛 got Parkinson鈥檚.

鈥淵ou meet a lot of people from all different walks of life, because it doesn鈥檛 just affect a certain group of people, it can affect anybody.

鈥淪o you learn about them, their background, how they came to be diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚. You鈥檙e just having a chat about this, that, or the other.

鈥淚 am the only lady at the minute, although there is another one coming. That never put me off. I feel much better when I鈥檓 leaving than when I came in.鈥�

Around 10 million people have the condition worldwide 鈥� that’s less than one percent of the total population. Most people who get Parkinson’s are over 60, but one in ten are under 50.

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But six months after becoming involved with Wigan Athletic Community Trust鈥檚 Extra Time programme, the retired welder has a new-found confidence which has seen him reach new heights by going rock climbing at the weekly session.

Running through the Wigan Athletic Supporters Project – the initiative aims to tackle social isolation amongst older people including Dennis – who reveals the positive impact it has had on his life.

鈥淗aving Parkinson鈥檚 disease has curtailed me a little bit鈥�, he said. 鈥淚t got me down a bit you know, it makes life slower and obviously more difficult and I worry about what people will think.

鈥淏ut after going to my doctor I was told about the Extra Time programme by Katie 鈥� my local Community Link Worker. On my first day I was a bit nervous about meeting new people because you wonder how they鈥檙e going to react to you.

鈥淚 was made welcome straight away with a cup of tea, a biscuit, a game of dominoes and straight away I just fitted in like a glove.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really boosted my confidence; I feel a lot better and in fact I love coming. I joke with my family that on a Tuesday I鈥檓 going to my youth club.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always something to do whether that鈥檚 a game of pool, or the air hockey, I enjoy the walking football, badminton and I鈥檝e even done rock climbing. There鈥檚 always something and there鈥檚 always somebody who鈥檒l come and sit with you.

鈥淚 look forward to it every week and would say if anyone is thinking of coming then just come, enjoy it and give it a try and you鈥檒l be surprised at how much it can change your life.鈥�

Rock climbing at the session 鈥� which runs at Wigan Youth Zone every Tuesday between 1pm-3pm 鈥� is one of many activities on offer to members and for Dennis was something he was keen to have a go at.

He added: 鈥淚 really enjoyed [rock climbing], I didn鈥檛 think I could do it, but I just had a go, if you don鈥檛 have a go you don鈥檛 know, do you?

鈥淚 had a go and next think I knew; I was up at the top. I flew up!鈥�

Katie Ramsdale, the Community Link Worker for Wigan Central, who referred Dennis, says it鈥檚 wonderful to see the difference in him.

She said: 鈥淲hen I first met Dennis, I realised from meeting him on the first off, that he was quite socially isolated and quite low in mood.

鈥淗e had no confidence and he鈥檇 isolated himself because of his medical condition that he has. We spoke about social groups that could possibly be good for him to attend which is how he ended up attending and enjoying the Extra Time session.

鈥淭he progress he has made since then has been absolutely amazing from him not wanting to go shopping with his wife or wanting to walk the dog.

鈥淣ow six months down the line he鈥檚 got a new set of friends, he鈥檚 climbing the wall and doing loads of activities that he probably thought he was never going to have an opportunity to ever do.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been wonderful being part of that and seeing that progress.鈥�

In January Dennis was recognised as the Trust’s Communtiy Hero as part of the English Football League Community Weekends. The nationwide celebration recognises the work of football clubs and community trusts in their local communities.

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While Club Community Organisations have supported their local communities with holiday camps for many years, this year 鈥� teaming up with one of the UK鈥檚 most popular cereal brands, Kellogg鈥檚 鈥� will make the summer holiday camps bigger and more exciting than ever.

Alongside football powerhouses Manchester City, Rangers and Celtic, the football camps for girls and boys aged 5-15 years will reach from Grimsby to Glasgow, and Plymouth to Peterborough, supporting parents in keeping their kids active and entertained across the nation during the school summer holidays.

Kellogg鈥檚 is giving away 30,000 free places for the camps before they kick off.

Legends of the game came together to launch Kellogg鈥檚 Football Camps at Birmingham City鈥檚 stadium, St. Andrews at Knighthead Park, with Jermaine Beckford and Michael Dawson, as well as children from local schools taking to the pitch to celebrate the launch.

“For me, football camps during school breaks were where I had the most fun, kicking the football around with your mates.

“The 国产无码 has such an advantage being part of so many different communities up and down the country, and to have Kellogg鈥檚 on board this summer to give so many kids the same opportunity I had when I was younger is really exciting.鈥�

Michael Dawson, former Hull City and England defender

鈥淥ne of the many strengths of the 国产无码 is that we can provide football camps for children at the heart of communities up and down the country.

“The 国产无码 and our Clubs are excited to join Kellogg鈥檚 to continue not only creating stronger, healthier and more active communities, but also provide environments where children can forge long-lasting friendships through football.鈥�

Debbie Cook, 国产无码 Director of Community

鈥淢ost families will be within 15 miles of a Kellogg鈥檚 Football Camp, giving children up and down Britain an opportunity to get active this summer. Run by FA qualified coaches, the camps aim to be fun and to give girls and boys the opportunity to get onto the pitch and follow in the footsteps of their footballing heroes.鈥�

Chris Silcock, Managing Director of Kellanova (the company that owns Kellogg鈥檚)

Kellogg鈥檚 Football Camps sessions will take place throughout June and September. To claim a day parents can buy a promotional pack in-store, and sign their kids up at

**18+. GB only. 2,500 camp places released weekly during 01/04/24 鈥� 24/06/24. Purchase promo pack by 24/06/24 and claim by 16/08/24. Kellogg鈥檚 Football Camps session times and dates vary club to club. Visit kelloggsfc.com to claim camp space. Max 2 claims per household. Retain receipt. For further T&Cs, see promo packs and visit

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The group, which has been running since 2019, brings people living with Alzheimer鈥檚 and dementia together weekly in the Darwen End Stand at Ewood Park and discuss their memories of following Rovers over the years in a social setting.

Now regularly attended by more than 40 people each Wednesday, the group have been on a number of Football related trips including to the National Football Museum and Deepdale.

The group have also organised visits with other club’s charitable organisations such as when they linked up with a group from the Manchester United Foundation and took part in a ground tour of Old Trafford as well as having lunch and a Q&A with former United and Rovers duo David May and Wes Brown.

In addition to this, they recently went on their first ever away day together in Rovers鈥� recent draw with Middlesbrough and met up with Middlesbrough FC Foundation’s Team Talk group.

Last Friday 35 participants had the privilege of visiting Blackburn Rovers鈥� STC where they enjoyed a tour of the facilities before they watched the First Team be taken through their paces by John Eustace鈥檚 coaching staff.

The group also received an audience with Blackburn Rovers CEO Steve Waggott, and ended the visit being able to part in a Q and A with Eustace and his coaches Matt Gardiner and David Lowe.

Gordon, a Remember the Rovers participant, remarked on the visit by saying 鈥淚鈥檝e really enjoyed the day and to come inside the (STC) building and see the facilities has been tremendous.

鈥淏lackburn Rovers is such a big part of life, and I never miss a game so to get the opportunity to speak with John Eustace was great!鈥�

John Eustace added 鈥淎s a professional footballer or coach you are very privileged and have a huge level of responsibility to those that support the club.

鈥淲herever I鈥檝e worked I鈥檝e tried to instil the idea of being a family and the most important thing for me is the fans and the players are one, so it was great to meet the group who are a part of a fantastic organisation.鈥�

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As part of the 2024 国产无码 Awards, divisional winners of the Community Club of the Season and Community Project of the Season were recognised for their exceptional work and outstanding impact in their respective communities over the past year.

Recipients of the 国产无码 Player in the Community Award, which is sponsored by the PFA, were also celebrated in front of guests.

The post 国产无码 Clubs recognised at Parliament for standout community work appeared first on 国产无码 Trust.

The players were also joined by Rob Milsom’s younger brother Nick, who was treated for Leukaemia at the hospital in 1995 when he was only three years old.

Rob commented: 鈥淚t means so much to me and my family the work that they do here at The Royal Marsden, especially thinking about my brother Nick who was affected at such a young age and owes so much to the fantastic staff here.鈥�

The players met with more than twenty children and young adults, speaking with them one-to-one and gifting them signed Sutton United shirts.

Louis, Rob and Sam also took part in some fun football games with the children, and the positive impact of the visit for patients was clear to see.

Louis said: “You could see how much it meant to these young kids to have us there visiting from the big smiles on their faces.鈥�

Sam added: 鈥淚t really brightened up their day. For us players, it feels great to be able to give something back to these kids who have had such a difficult start to life. Everyone was really impressed with Louis鈥� keepy-uppy and ball balancing skills! He did get nutmegged on the goal line a couple of times!鈥�

As part of the relationship between The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and Sutton United, the club will be offering young patients the chance to be included in the excitement of match day as they walk out with the team as honorary Mascots.

Amy Mullins, Head of Community Fundraising at The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, said: “We are delighted to be working with Sutton United and are really grateful to those at the club who have made this memorable experience possible for these young patients. The club鈥檚 support will also help to ensure The Royal Marsden continues to provide the very best treatment and care and develop new treatments that help cancer patients around the world.鈥�

The club will also be launching a special, aubergine-coloured shirt, with 拢3 from the sale of each shirt to be donated to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to support its vital work. This will give Sutton fans and the wider local community the opportunity to support this brilliant cause and help to raise awareness of all the wonderful work they do.

This new special edition kit will be worn for Sutton’s home game on 23rd March 2024 versus Accrington Stanley in partnership with O鈥橬eill鈥檚, and could replace the green away kit for the forthcoming 2024/25 season.

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In fact, it did much the opposite and enlighten a hunger from them to want to join a team. After a chance meeting with Handsworth Girls who were fundraising in their local supermarket, the girls were invited along to training before progressing in to the U9 team where they were huge successful as they progressed through the age groups.

Similarly, to their Primary school days, the girls excelled in their Secondary school team which is where their talent was spotted by Millie Kenyon from Sheffield Wednesday who nominated the girls to attend a England Talent Pathway event in Leeds. The girls attended the event along with Poppy who made up their trio as they competed in a 3×3 tournament which allowed for the event to be fun and for the girls to really show their creativeness. Despite the nerves, Tawana and Tayana were successful in catching the eye of the FA and their progress is now being monitored as part of the FA Women鈥檚 England Talent Pathway opens up the possibility to considered for England Youth Teams.

Millie Kenyon聽 said: 鈥淭he Talent Inclusion programme has been a great way for us as a community programme to give girls an opportunity to showcase their football, the chance to access this opportunity that wouldn鈥檛 be there for them.聽 Through our referrals this gives local girls who play for grassroots clubs to access the women鈥檚 talent pathway.聽 The girls I referred Tawana and Tayana both twins who have lots of potential and are very talented young players. Both girls attended our 国产无码 Girls Cup last year, out of over 100 girls that attended this school鈥檚 competition both of the girls ability stood out. 聽Through our partnership with the Talent Inclusion programme I knew the characteristics of a player they look for and could see that both girls had shown these characteristics.鈥�

The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through existing community activities, female participants with potential can be identified and referred to the FA England Women鈥檚 Talent Pathway. The programme is specifically run by 国产无码 Club Community Organisations, who engage with young girls from low social economic communities and underrepresented groups, and looks to refer talented players who may not access traditional talent pathways due to social class, ethnicity and demographic.

Not only were both girls鈥� avid footballers but they also played basketball for Sheffield Hatters as their parents exposed the girls to lots of different sports as they believed that sport is positive, constructive and enables character-building. Eventually, the girls had to decide whether they would pursue either basketball or football, the two sports they flourished in; both chose football.

As they had made that pivotal decision, they would almost immediately reap the rewards of this as they were offered a trial at women football giants Manchester City. With only one of the girls being offered a place in their academy, the offer was turned down and twins stuck together on their footballing journey.

Currently they are continuing to play for Handsworth, but have also recently had successful trials for Sheffield Schools and Barnsley Emerging Talent Centre which will no doubt ensure the girls continue their upwards trajectory in becoming a future Lioness.

A story that simply started with a love and passion for the game has allowed the girls freedom to enjoy the game and to nurture their talents.

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With recognition that women were under-represented across the Football and Sport鈥檚 Coaching degree courses that are run at over 40 Clubs in partnership with the University of South Wales, the Female Development programme was established in the academic year of 2021-22 to ensure all women on the course were offered a tailored programme of opportunities to expand their knowledge and confidence with other women from other Clubs.

By ensuring an inclusive environment, with opportunities to network and hear from like-minded professionals in the sport, the programme ensures that the students on the degree course are provided with the opportunity to upskill and build confidence.

Throughout the year they have access to a variety of events that feature female professionals from a variety of roles within sport. This helps give students the confidence to seek out all the opportunities that are available to them.

Speakers to date have included senior members of the 国产无码 Trust, who have shared their experiences of working in sport, from working off the field, to being front and centre on it. They have also heard from Daisy Croker who referees on the FA Women鈥檚 National League and the U21s Professional Game Academy League and has been involved in refereeing for the last 7 years, working her way through the ranks.

With coaching being a huge element of the degree courses, Jayne Jackson, 国产无码 Trust鈥檚 Wildcats Project Manager provided the girls with best practices and advice on getting involved with their local Club Community Organisations and the Wildcats programme. As a result of this, some of the students have begun volunteering at their local Wildcats sessions.

From Grassroots football to the professional game, Charlotte Healy, Manchester United Women鈥檚 Assistant Coach will be a guest speaker next month as she discusses her journey and progression her from role as a community coach at Derby County Community Trust to the pinnacle of English football in the Women鈥檚 Super League.

With the opportunity to grow, develop and establish themselves in the industry, it is no wonder the Female Development programme has become a pivotal part in the increasing number of female students on the USW degree courses. With just 12 students in its first year, last year 36 students were engaged in the programme.

Whilst the University of South Wales degree programme creates opportunity for women to coach the game, our CCOs also offer a pathway for Girls to play the game. This is from the very first kick of a ball with Wildcats to the Talent Inclusion programme which helps girls who dream of representing England one day.

The Wildcats programme, in run partnership with the FA, is aimed at young girls aged 5-11 promotes a non-competitive, fun environment for all from those wanting to try football for the first time to girls who just want to play the game with girls the same age as them. This not only promotes fundamental skills required on the pitch but also develops life skills off it from effective communication to the ability to problem solve as part of a wider team.

Whilst only a small number of girls will go on to receive full senior caps at International level, our Talent Inclusion programme, also run in partnership with the FA, ensures every girl has equal chance to do so, regardless of their background.

The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through existing community activities, participants with potential can be identified and referred to the FA England Women鈥檚 Talent Pathway. The 国产无码 Trust鈥檚 CCOs work in some of the most deprived communities in England, where individuals and families experience challenges when trying to participate in sport and other activities. Women鈥檚 football has become a significant part of CCO delivery and engagement has hit an all-time high, given this, there is a considerable opportunity for potential to be identified and developed in the right environment. In particular, research from The FA has indicated that girls from low-socio-economic urban areas are not progressing into the talent system which is a lost opportunity for both young girls and the England team.

The Talent Inclusion programme is specifically run by over 60 国产无码 Club Community Organisations, who engage with young girls from low social economic communities and underrepresented groups, and look to refer talented players who, for whatever reason, may not be able to access traditional talent pathways.

It is paramount to the future of England women鈥檚 football that the pathway is a system for all. The 国产无码 Trust and The FA are committed to working collaboratively to be creative and inventive to achieve this goal together.

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Charlotte first became known to the 国产无码 Trust when she was CEO of UK Youth, a network organisation representing the youth sector in the UK. UK Youth and the 国产无码 Trust had many shared plans and ambitions, and Charlotte was very well respected across the sector, having received the Rising CEO Star award from the Charity Times in 2012.

At that time, the 国产无码 Trust Board lacked diversity in knowledge and expertise in wider charity areas, such as youth engagement.聽By 2014 Charlotte had moved on to head up Step up to Serve, a volunteering campaign back by the then Prince Charles and all the major political parties. 鈥疶he 国产无码 Trust were delighted that at this point, Charlotte also agreed to join the Board and bring her wealth of sector expertise and knowledge to the organisation.

Now CEO of the fantastic Felix Project in London, the advice and guidance Charlotte has provided to the 国产无码 Trust over the last nine years has been invaluable. As well as her industry knowledge, Charlotte enthusiastically drove a governance review process and took on the role of Senior Independent Trustee. The 国产无码 Trust subsequently achieved the highest level of compliance with the Sport England Code of Governance which has in turn led to a myriad of opportunities to expand the work and success of the charity and its network of club community organisations.

As Charlotte departs from the Board, the role of Senior Independent will pass to Uma Cresswell, who joined the Board in November 2021, and has become a committed and integral member of the team. The work of charity Trustees often goes unnoticed, but the impact that Charlotte has had during her long association with the 国产无码 Trust is extraordinary. Charlotte’s knowledge, enthusiasm, positivity, and commitment has been a huge factor in the success of the 国产无码 Trust and we all wish her the very best in her future career and similar success to incoming Board members.

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As the impactful programme enters its milestone 10^th year, Joy of moving has inspired over 550,000 children to get moving through play and delivered over 2.5 million hours of learning in hundreds of schools.

With more than 70,000 children set to benefit from the programme this academic year via 27 CCOs, Joy of moving is based on a unique methodology, developed by Ferrero alongside independent experts.

Joy of moving encourages children to get active using play as the foundation, whilst helping them to develop key skills, such as motor coordination, creativity, and social skills.

In the UK, the unbranded Joy of moving programme consists of two elements: the Move & Learn project and the Joy of moving Festivals, delivered in schools.

Charlie Cayton, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Ferrero UK, said: 鈥淲e are incredibly proud to be celebrating ten years of our Joy of moving social responsibility programme.

鈥淭he programme, delivered by our amazing partner and their fantastic Club Community Organisations, inspires children to get moving while playing and having fun.

鈥淲e know that this approach is key to get children engaged and I鈥檓 delighted to be able to say that together we have been able to reach over half a million children since our initiative began.

鈥淛oy of moving has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and we鈥檙e excited for the programme to continue its success as we look ahead to the future.鈥�

Adrian Bradley, Head of Healthier Communities at the 国产无码 Trust added: “More than half (53 per cent) of children do not meet the Chief Medical Officer guidelines of taking part in sport and physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day, according to Sport England findings*.

鈥淥ur Club Community Organisations (CCOs) are at the heart of their communities and have been integral in the development and delivery of the Joy of moving programme designed to inspire active lifestyles in children, teaching children how to enjoy moving through play, and to help them develop positive habits for adulthood.鈥�

To learn more about the Joy of moving programme visit

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