Foundation Derbyshire, previously known as Derbyshire Community Foundation, has awarded the Belper Community Football Programme a grant of £1,400 to continue with weekly disability football sessions at Belper Leisure Centre.

The grant has been sourced from the John Weston Charitable Fund, a fund which is managed by Foundation Derbyshire and which provides grants to help young people and their community organisations in Duffield and South West Derbyshire.

Disability football sessions take place on Saturday mornings at Belper Leisure Centre but current funding for the sessions had almost been exhausted. But, the grant from the John Weston Fund has arrived just in time to enable the sessions to continue for another 12 months at least.

Dave Laughlin, secretary of the Belper Community Football Programme who operate the disability sessions, said, “The support that we have been given by Foundation Derbyshire and the John Weston Fund trustees has been brilliant and the timing is just perfect.

“They are keen to see the disability football sessions flourish now that they have been relocated to Belper Leisure Centre.

“We would like to increase the numbers of disabled footballers, aged between 6 and 16, making use of the sessions and this grant will allow us to become much more financially sustainable.

“This is the third year that the John Weston Charitable Fund has been the principal funder of the disability football sessions and without their continued financial support, the scheme could not have continued”.

The sessions take place between 9.00am and 10.00am on Saturday mornings. The sessional fee is £3.00 but the first four sessions are provided free of charge to allow parents to assess their suitability for their children’s needs.

More details of the disability sessions can be obtained from BCFP Disability Football Coach, Rachel Wilson on 07510 752352.