With the summer holidays in full swing, it’s THE perfect way to keep boredom at bay!
Our Foundation’s summer holiday football camps started yesterday and continue every week throughout August, offering fun activities for boys and girls aged from four to 16 years.
Led by Scott Lockwood, a UEFA B Licence approved coach with over two decades of experience and 14 years at the Club, our AFC Wimbledon Holiday Football courses are well established in the local community.
It’s the ideal scenario for young people to enjoy the sun, a bit of well-earned time off school, and meet new friends!
Our courses cater for boys and girls of all abilities, offering many exciting extras such as player and mascot visits, prizes and tournaments.
The holiday courses run from Monday to Thursday (10 am-3 pm) at the Aspire Centre, Southfields.
For more information, visit our Foundation's website.
Of course, our Foundation organise regular activities for people of all ages from a variety of backgrounds, and a bit more about two of these community programmes is below.
NCS (National Citizen Service)
We yesterday provided an opportunity for 60 young people to experience something completely different!
Students aged 16-17 from local schools visited the Surrey Outdoors Activity Centre, near Dorking, as part of the Foundation’s NCS programme – and it was a Monday they’re unlikely to forget in a hurry.
Challenging outdoor activities included scaling the heights with high ropes, orienteering and bushcraft, as part of a stay this week at a nearby residential centre. In week two, the young people will then attend workshops at our stadium, before planning, organising and leading social action and volunteering projects in the local community - linking up with the Dons Local Action Group and other partners.
NCS Manager, Rhiannon Maher, said: “This is the first time since COVID that we’ve been able to run residentials. The staff team and young people are really excited to take part in events that take them out of their comfort zone. We’ve worked closely with local schools to recruit 120 students this summer and have been delighted with the response to date. Social Action Projects really help young people to find out about their local community.”
Active Dons – Holiday Activity Fund
The Foundation is also running its very popular free multi-sport Active Dons courses at two schools in Mitcham for four weeks throughout August, offering local schoolchildren the opportunity to play several sports, take part in drama, dance and arts workshops. The project is free and funded by Merton Council because it is targeted at families whose children are on free school meals and live in more disadvantaged areas.
Philip Rudling, Foundation Director, said: “This is the fifth year that we’ve been running a similar programme and we always seek to reach those kids and families who wouldn’t be able to afford a traditional paid holiday scheme. If we can get them physically active, to eat healthily and become Dons fans, then we’ve done our jobs.”
For more information, visit our Foundation website.