Bognor Town launches community project to give something back
It comes after the community helped to raise more than £50,000 for the club.
A new project has been launched to invite guests from various good causes to watch Bognor Regis Town Football Club's games.
It comes after the community raised more than £50,000 for the club over the summer, to help build a new stand at their Nyewood Lane ground.
Now, volunteers at Bognor Rocks in the Community (BRIC), an initiative to connect the club with the local community, have said they hope to be able to give something back to the area.
At each home game, the club will be inviting guests from a range of good causes to visit Nyewood Lane, starting with tomorrow's (24 October) match against Margate.
They will be welcoming former player John Price from Love Your Hospital, the dedicated charity for the three hospitals that make up Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, Worthing Hospital and Southlands Hospital in Shoreham.
The visit is said to "tie in perfectly" with BRIC's mission statement, which is to "engage, welcome and support the whole Bognor Regis community, and to increase the role of the football club within it".
BRIC aims to reach out to the whole area and raise awareness of the schemes already running involving the local community.
This includes a youth football project involving more than 30 boys’ and girls’ teams embracing players from various backgrounds and ethnic groups.
Roger Nash will chair the sub-committee set up to drive BRIC forward:
"I'm delighted to be involved in this important new initiative and already we are buzzing with ideas and suggestions as to how we can play an even bigger role in the Bognor Regis and wider community.
"We hope John and the guests enjoy the action and are able to cheer on a victory for the Rocks!"
Meanwhile Carl Eldridge, who is from the club, told Greatest Hits Radio West Sussex:
"We know that charities are struggling massively with their fundraising efforts.
"So if we can help in any way, shape or form, we want to do that.
"We would say to any other charities in the area who can benefit from how we can showcase what they do and try to help with fundraising just to get in touch with us."
Anybody who has any ideas or suggestions regarding BRIC is asked to contact Louise Lawson by emailing louise.lawson@talk21.com .