On Saturday 10th June, Bradley Stoke Youth FC (BSYFC) hailed the success of their latest Schools’ Football Festival at the Jubilee Centre, which attracted 130 Year 1 children representing 13 different local primary schools and 45 Year 2 children from the BSYFC teams. The festival is the finale to the club’s School Link Programme where BSYFC’s FA Qualified Level 1 and 2 coaches go into the schools and coach all the Year 1 children for a three-week period at each school. The programme starts in February and finishes in the last school in May, ready for the Festival in June.

The Football Festival has been running since 2006 and over the years has developed into a major event as part of the town’s annual Community Festival, with over 1,650 children having now taken part. The School Link Programme started in 2007 and has grown over the years to become a major community activity with over 7,000 children having received football skills coaching in their school.

At the festival, every child received a medal and a gift bag full of football-related essentials like shin pads, football socks, water bottle, baseball cap, activity play pack and sweets. Each school received a cup and a ball bag with size 3 footballs, so they can continue the football coaching at their school. The winning school also received a new kit for their team. The Teacher Awards this year went to Iron Acton and Stoke Lodge.

Football Festival organiser Martin Lee said:

“The club would like to recognize all the club coaches, managers and helpers who assisted on the day, ensuring the success of this community event. Also a big thanks to our key long term sponsors McDonald’s, Bradley Stoke Town Council and the Gloucestershire FA.”

More: Festival award winners and team photos »

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The Almondsbury Tennis Club disability tennis group were thrilled to receive a grant recently from the Dan Maskill Tennis Trust. Lynda Riddle, a volunteer with the group, who is also on the Tennis Club committee, explained: “We always need funding to pay for equipment, wet weather venue hire, and also to pay for a trained tennis coach. In previous years this has come from local groups or the LTA, but we weren’t sure how we could keep going. So we thought we’d apply for a grant from the Dan Maskill foundation, and were thrilled when we found we’d been successful!.” The grant is enough to keep the group going for another couple of years.

Why is the group so important? Sue, another volunteer, explained: “It’s good exercise, which not many groups are able to provide, and is really essential.” She went on: “Most activities for less able adults stop for the holidays, but this group keeps going all year round. That continuity is tremendously important – and also provides something valuable for the adults to do during the holidays.” Sue told a lovely story about her son Joe, who was at the beach on holiday, and expected the family to go home in the middle of the holiday ‘because it’s tennis tomorrow’!”

The group starts with a gentle warm-up, before going on to the tennis activities. The special balls allows the game to be played at a manageable pace for people with less quick reactions, and makes it easier for beginners to pick up the basics. One of the lovely things about the morning is that carers are also able to join in and play a sociable game with those they support.

The mixture of disabilities varies, but Sue pointed out that tennis allows adults who find ordinary social interaction very hard a way of interacting normally. Another really important aspect of the group is the break time at the end of the morning, which again provides more opportunity for interaction, and not many groups have that.

More: Meeting times and contact details »

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Local estate agents Ocean say they are very happy to have been given the opportunity to support some of the sports teams at Bradley Stoke’s Meadowbrook Primary School this year. They’re hoping the football team enjoy their new strip and the netball team their polo shirts.

Ocean say they are also pleased to have been able to source the new kit from a local supplier, Linela Embroidery in Olveston, who ensured that the embroidered school emblem on the shirts was “just right”. The response from the children and teachers confirms they did a great job, with everyone saying they are delighted with the new kit.

Stefano Missiato, Ocean Bradley Stoke sales manager said he has been very pleased to see the new strips at Meadowbrook. He’s been working in Bradley Stoke for over ten years now and knows just how important it is to ensure the local community’s schools are supported as much as possible.

“Let’s hope the new kit brings good luck, wins follow, and fun is had by all,” he added

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Sport-loving local schoolboy Alex Okoye, aged 11, could hardly believe his good fortune to be selected to be a player escort (mascot) at the Arsenal – Chelsea FA Cup Final at Wembley on 27th May.

Like most young boys his age, Alex enjoys a good kick around on the football pitch. He plays basketball for Bristol Flyers, enjoys athletics and is captain of his Year 7 rugby team.

Alex, who attends Bradley Stoke Community School, said:

“It was a remarkable once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“When my Dad told me we had won two tickets to Wembley and the chance for me to be a player escort for Arsenal, I could hardly believe it. We have supported Arsenal in my family all my life.”

“The Emirates [Stadium] and the FA were really generous too. They put us up for two nights in a hotel in Kensington so we could arrive early to enjoy the build up to the game and enjoy the celebration at the end of the match.”

“Walking out at Wembley in front of nearly 90,000 people with millions of people watching on telly around the world was amazing. The roar from the cheering fans as we walked on to the pitch was deafening and you could feel the heat from the pre-match pyrotechnics.”

More: Alex accompanied one of his favourite players, Mesut Ozil »

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