The AFC Wimbledon Foundation are aiming to build on the success of a match day activity that involved hosting people with learning difficulties.
Before the first-team match between Wimbledon and Charlton, our Foundation welcomed the Charlton Upbeats and Generate football clubs onto the pitch at the Cherry Red Records Stadium. Both clubs offer opportunities for people with learning difficulties to play football. Generate are a charity for adults with learning difficulties who are representing AFC Wimbledon and they recently won their round of the FA Peoples Cup.
Generate took on Charlton Upbeats, which is run by the Charlton Athletic Community Trust, in friendly matches at the nearby Weir-Archer Stadium, before the players involved watched the first-team game afterwards.
AFC Wimbledon Foundation Director Philip Rudling said: “We were delighted to host Generate FC, our local pan disability team, and Charlton Upbeats, on Saturday. The two teams played a series of friendly matches together, before they were introduced to the crowd for a team photo prior to kick-off. We were really pleased with the response from both groups, who enjoyed playing together and watching the game. Charlton were very complimentary about their whole experience and praised the welcome they received from the club and stewards in the away area. Moving forward, we hope to repeat the matchday activity and bring more disability groups into the stadium as part of our work in the local community.”