Belper Town Top Community Club

Belper Town Football Club is delighted to announce that it has won the Derbyshire County FA's 2012 Charter Standard Community Club Award, the second time in three years that the club has gained this prestigious honour.

The Club will be presented with the award on Saturday 18th August at Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium ahead of the Rams’ opening home league match of the season with Sheffield Wednesday.

The award is recognition of the fantastic progress that has been made across all aspects of the club over the past 12 months

Two new Belper Town Girls’ teams were created at Under 12 and Under 16 age groups and played competitive football in the Derbyshire Girls and Ladies League. Meanwhile, plans are well advanced to develop another girls’ team at the Under 11 age group for next season.

During the year the Club also introduced specialist coaching sessions for disabled children in conjunction with Derby County in the Community. Based at the Holbrook Centre for Autism, the sessions have developed with a specific focus on local autistic children although the sessions are open to all children with a range of disabilities.

And in what has been a hugely successful year, Head Community Coach Mark Alcock was selected as both the Derbyshire and Regional Football Coach of the Year, and earned a place in the national selection event at Nottingham Forest under the keen eye of England Under 21 manager, Stuart Pearce.

Meanwhile the club has worked closely with the Derbyshire FA Tesco Skills Team and produced a case study highlighting the impact that the skills programme has had on the club. Two BTFC teams were subsequently invited to play in the DCFA/FA Tesco Skills Festival, which was a great success.

In other community links, the Club is working closely with the Derby Youth Offending Service to provide restorative justice placements that gives practical opportunities for young offenders to undertake their ‘community’ hours in a football environment.

Work experience placements are also offered to special needs pupils, particularly those from special schools, whilst a campaign has been underway for some time with the Derbyshire Mental Health Trust on initiatives to help to reduce mental health stigma.

Finally, in conjunction with the Football Association and the Evo-Stik NPL League, the club was selected to work with the FA on their Fan-based Experience Project. As a result, the Club has appointed a Supporter Liaison Officer to implement a number of improvements that will encourage more families and individuals to attend matches and take an interest in the non-league game.

Club Secretary, Dave Laughlin said, “It’s a great honour to win this award for the second time but the plaudits should go to the coaches and volunteers throughout all sections of the club, who are utterly dedicated to their roles and to their community responsibilities.

“To have achieved this award in the face of stiff completion from the 15 other FA Charter Standard Community clubs within Derbyshire, speaks volumes for the calibre of people involved in the club.

“I’m really proud of them and also for the club itself”.