The Longside Reference

THE CLUB FOR IT’S PEOPLE    

 When I met Nick Harrison, manager of the Burnley FC Community Sports Trust, it was no mean feat to find a chair amidst the piles of kit and assorted paraphernalia on the floor and the desks of his office.  

 “We’ve got a group of 39 going to Germany next week,” he explained, “aged from nine to thirteen, plus fourteen staff and coaches. This is just some of the gear.”     

  There’s a hum about the place. People buzz about everywhere. No corner is quiet. Continuous movement, people coming, people going, activities all over the place. If Burnley Football Club meets the people of Burnley in a place other then the stadium, then this is it.
 
 The centre, through its three main programmes, makes 140,000 people contacts a year, of which 40,000 are with children. It makes 250 school visits, is involved with the Borough Council and runs community projects. It runs coaching sessions as far away as Germany and Cyprus, and from Northern Ireland to nearby Barrowford. The word ‘thriving’ is insufficient. Dynamic… vibrant, would seem better ones. And that’s before you’ve mentioned SCARF (Schools Citizenship Anti Racism in Football), the Duke of Edinburgh Award, and the dance groups who perform at half times on a match day.    

   Today there’s a financial turnover of something approaching £800k a year, and a staff of over 30. Nick reports to a board of trustees that includes Alastair Campbell, football club directors John Sullivan and Chris Duckworth, plus Frank Teasdale and Dave Edmundson. It receives backing from HML (Home Management Loans), a local firm with over 400 employees and offices in Padiham, Skipton and Northern Ireland. HML donates £25k per year and this is matched with £25k from Sportsmatch… (Nick describes HML as a partner rather than a sponsor)     

    And to think, all this started with just one person in 1988 with one desk, and a grant from the PFA which wanted to do something to combat hooliganism in football, declining attendances, and the lack of families. Frank Teasdale, then chairman of BFC, gave it his full support and still does.   

  In 1988 there was just the club’s training gymnasium. Today it is the refurbished sports hall, and attached are the extensions built in 1998 with a European grant. That it began in 1988 is coincidental but almost symbolic, since it was the year following the ’87 Orient game when the club was as good as reborn. Burnley was one of the founder members of this small group of clubs who began what was almost missionary work. Today there are 90 clubs involved. Few have flourished, burgeoned in fact, like Burnley. It’s growth has been staggering.  

  Nick was quick to say that Dean Ramsdale did so much of the work. He was there for thirteen years. Nick has been there for eleven and took over from Dean in 2006.
     “We’re quite separate from the football club, stand on our feet, we are financially self-sufficient, and find all the wages and salaries.  Of course there are connections with the club. The buildings and facilities are rented from Barry Kilby. One of his companies owns them. Many people might think that we are part of Burnley Football Club, but we are not. There are links of course.  Dave Edmundson is chair of the board of trustees, but they don’t fund us, nor is there any public funding, income is from subscriptions and support from HML. We are a registered charity and as such are independent of the club. Surplus funds are always ploughed back in and more staff can then be employed.”     

  There is a pride in the way that the club and community are so intertwined and it is this that makes it so successful. The Sports Trust delivers a service and a message. When I went in to reception, Paul Weller was just receiving instructions for a school assembly he had to speak to.       There are three key areas where the service is delivered. There is the Stadium Fitness gymnasium facility, with almost 1000 members.
     Secondly there is the Sports Hall area. This is open seven days a week.  It caters for almost every sport you can think of, plus dance and cheerleading. This is not just a football service. There are various mini leagues for a number of sports. And all these facilities are used by Burnley College and Myerscough College.
    Then thirdly, there is the Outreach work. This means schools visits, provision of coaching, community groups, a sport in the community department. It delivers coaching for all sports.

  And Outreach includes Germany. The residential trip, whose gear filled the office, goes to an army base near Düsseldorf. Coaching is provided for the army base youngsters, RHYFC, as well. Games against Borussia Monchengladbach teams are planned. And this is no perk, no easy-going freebie, accommodation costs have to be paid for. This is work. Eight times a year these German trips can take place.   

  The Trust runs the Junior Claret and Blues. Any junior who buys a season ticket is automatically a member. On certain matchdays groups of ten children can have a matchday birthday party and see a game. The Trust works to draw young supporters in. Who knows, they may be hooked for life. Any youngster who books four sessions at the Easter Soccer Holiday course receives a ticket for the West Brom game in April. The youngest junior member has not yet reached the age of one. At the other end of the spectrum the oldest fitness subscriber is over 80.   

  Perhaps the most prestigious course is the Duke of Edinburgh Award, launched in September 2006 it was initiated by director John Sullivan and Burnley is the only club in the Northwest to be an awarding body. Participants are aged from 14 to 24 and must demonstrate leadership skills, work on community projects, display initiative, complete project work and finally organise and undertake a camping expedition. For this award there is a partnership with Burnley housing company Calico who will inject £6000 to pay for the necessary camping equipment. The Trust has also just received a cheque for £5000 from the FA Community Shield Distribution Fund.    

 Nick says that there are still many people, be they supporters or people at the football club itself, who don’t really know what they are all about, exactly what they do, and just how big they have grown.  Burnley FC Community Sports Trust aims to win top place one day at the prestigious annual Football League community awards. It hasn’t done it yet but it can’t be far away. 
 

Dave Thomas April 2007