Local football team Bradley Stoke Youth FC U6s have received a brand new free kit courtesy of local McDonald’s franchisee Mike Guerin and the McDonald’s FA Kit Scheme.
The McDonald’s scheme, now in its third year, has provided over 175,000 kits to clubs across the UK with 70,000 new football kits being delivered this year. This year has seen a huge number of applications from clubs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who were eligible to order a brand new kit, choosing from a number of styles and colours.
To mark the occasion, Bradley Stoke Youth FC held an event at their training ground, inviting local McDonald’s franchisee Mike Guerin to come along to celebrate the U6s receiving their new strip of kits for this year’s season.
Local McDonald’s franchisee, Mike Guerin, who is a keen supporter of grassroots football, said:
“Bradley Stoke Youth FC is a club that is close to my heart, and an excellent example of a grassroots club which has a real community spirit. I am thrilled to be able to supply the young players with a new kit to achieve great things in this season! The kit scheme is something that McDonald’s is incredibly proud to be able to roll out to clubs all over the country. I would like to thank Bradley Stoke Youth FC for inviting me along to celebrate with them in receiving their new kit and wish them the best for this year’s season.”
Martin Lee from Bradley Stoke Youth FC said:
“We’re hugely grateful to McDonald’s for donating a new kit for our U6 team. An average team strip costs around £500 per season, so this really is a huge saving for us and means we can spend the money on other areas of the club that need it. The kids absolutely love wearing their new strip. Having the kit has created fantastic unity and team spirit and has given the kids extra motivation to train and have a great season.”
McDonald’s Director of Football, Sir Geoff Hurst, said:
“I have seen the benefits of the McDonald’s Kit Scheme first hand and it is a great help to clubs across the UK such as Bradley Stoke Youth FC. We have been inundated with requests for kit and it’s fantastic to see the players wearing a new strip as their friends and family cheer them on.”
“Grassroots football clubs are so important to the local community and offer so many opportunities to youngsters throughout the UK. By giving away a free kit, McDonald’s is opening vital funds for these teams to help raise their standards of football and build upon their successes.”
The McDonald’s Accredited Club Kit Scheme is part of the company’s ongoing 14-year Community Partnership with the four Home Nation Football Associations. The programme focuses on supporting accredited grassroots clubs to help raise the standards of grassroots football across the UK through better safety, better advice, better coaching for better coaches, better kit, better support and better recognition for volunteers.
Photo: Local McDonald’s franchisee Mike Guerin (back row, centre) with the Bradley Stoke Youth FC U6 players and coaching staff. [View hi-res version on Flickr]
• Contact BSYFC’s Martin Lee at mlee1@btopenworld.com
This article originally appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 16). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
