Coalville Town Youth FC scores big with Aggregate Industries

Company donates much-needed funds plus 260 tonnes of aggregate to extend club’s car park

COALVILLE Town Youth FC now has a new, full-size, 3G football pitch and extended car park thanks to significant monetary and material donations from Aggregate Industries.

The grass-roots football team started 25 years ago and over the past five years has become a non-profit organization and then a charity. This enabled the club to be eligible for The Football Foundation and FA grants to improve its facilities.

Before it could receive grant funding for its priority 3G pitch, it was clear from the start that the club would need to raise a minimum of £220,000 to put towards the project. As well as other fundraising efforts by the club, Aggregate Industries’ Bardon Hill Community Fund donated the final £15,000 needed to get the club over the line of its £220,000 hurdle.

Not stopping there, the team at Aggregate Industries was keen to offer further support to help the club complete its projects and grow. Consequently, the business donated 260 tonnes of Type 1 aggregate to complete the car park area at the club, providing parents and local crowds with ample space to park.

This year Coalville Town Youth FC will have around 1,000 children and young adults signed up to one of its many teams. This includes both male and female football teams across every age group from under sevens to adult teams, mini-football for those under the age of six, and inclusive football sessions.

In addition, the facility will be used by the wider community for walking football, well-being sessions, and as a training venue for other local football clubs and for Coalville Town Rugby Club.

Wayne McDermott, club secretary at Coalville Town Youth FC, commented: ‘We are so grateful to Aggregate Industries for not only completing our efforts to raise £220,000 to kickstart our 3G pitch project, but also then going above and beyond to donate such a large quantity of material from their local quarry to our car park.

‘With our new 3G pitch, we will not only be able to better serve our many youth teams, but also offer more casual games, well-being sessions, and an educational programme run by Derby County in the Community. In the past we have had to operate over four sites, however that’s changed now the 3G pitch has been installed and we can use it seven days a week, which will enable it to become an important hub in the local community.’

The new car park was completed just in time for the club’s annual presentation weekend, which saw all of the players and their families attend to collect awards and celebrate their participation and achievements over the season.

Lee Sleight, managing director of Aggregates at Aggregates Industries, said: ‘When we heard how close Coalville Town Youth FC was to raising the necessary £220,000 for their 3G pitch project, we were more than happy to help get them over the finish line. Upon seeing the great work they do for so many children and young adults in the local community, we knew that there was more we could do to support them and were delighted to be able to utilize our expertise in construction materials to donate the much-needed aggregates for their car park.

‘We hope that both the funding and materials help the club continue to flourish and offer a greater breadth of services to Coalville locals.’