Girls footie fundraiser sees support from all over Bognor

A fundraiser to purchase new equipment for the Bognor Regis Town Youth Girls Under-11s has seen outstanding uptake from the community.

The fundrasier comes as the team graduates to nine-a- side football next season. Their progress means the girls need a range of new equipment in order to get the most out of their training.

This includes a protective pop-up dugout for all-weather protection on match days, pop-up nets and appropriately sized nine-a-side training goals.

When the fundraiser started back in April, it had a modest £500 goal. Team manager Russell Marsh, as well as coaches Ben Riddle and Shane Pope were surprised when support poured in from all corners of the town and the team quickly raised £770.

Mr Pope, who organised the fundraiser, said the more money the team can raise, the better equipment they can buy. For him, it’s nice to know the girls are being given a fighting chance at success.

“It’s easy for the boys to get sponsors, and the girls tend to find it tougher,” he said.

“With the extra money, we can definitely go for better equipment. The original £500 was just for the basics and now we can extend that to the higher quality stuff.

“It’s good for the girls, too. When we go to other clubs, we can sometimes feel a bit behind with what the other clubs have.”

“(The fundraiser means we can) provide the girls with the necessary equipment to set them up for success,” added manager Russell Marsh.

To find out more about the fundraiser, click here.

Or, for more on the youth club, click here.