One of the region’s largest amateur football clubs has pledged to throw its support behind South Tyneside businesses and organisations, as it celebrates the work of its own team of volunteers in the run up to National Volunteers’ Week.
Hebburn Town FC, recently crowned champions of Northern Premier League East Division, plans to become a community hub, attracting local groups and businesses to its Hebburn Sports Ground, in Victoria Road, as a meeting spot and functions venue.
It also wants to highlight the incredibly important role volunteers play in the running of the club and the work they deliver across the wider community.
Alongside the club’s directors, Chief Executive, Stephen Rutherford, has turned Hebburn into a genuine success story, taking the club from 11th in the Northern Premier Div 2 to top spot in Div 1, since taking over in 2017. The club has also swelled its ranks, with over 1,000 players from the first XI to junior teams, including around 100 women and girls.
The 112-year-old club now has its sights set on the wider community and plans to showcase the importance of volunteers, as part of its commitment to the South Tyneside Pledge. The Pledge encourages South Tyneside organisations to focus on local actions that can make a real difference to the area.
Stephen said:
“The Pledge is something this club really believes in. We put on free junior summer sessions for youngsters as part of our Pledge activities, but now we want to widen that activity further, targeting the people and businesses around Hebburn.
“There are a lot of people in the town who have never been inside our fences and have no idea what we have to offer. Football is a great way of uniting people, but even for those who don’t follow the sport, there are many other ways to get involved and we want to provide a welcoming, community hub for people and organisations.
“However, we are an amateur club and everyone involved with Hebburn is a volunteer who gives up their time to help progress the club and promote what we do. So much of that work goes unnoticed, so we want to showcase them and the vital role they play.”
The club is working with South Tyneside Council to host an event during Volunteers’ Week, from Monday 3 to Sunday 9 June, to celebrate unsung heroes who dedicate themselves day in and day to the club and outline the impact this has across the community.
Councillor Paul Dean, Lead Member for the Voluntary Sector, Partnerships, and Equalities, at South Tyneside Council said:
“Creating opportunities for residents to connect and participate in their communities is a priority for South Tyneside Council, and we continue to work closely with partners on a range of activities to promote volunteering and nurture our voluntary and community sector.
“The Club’s recent promotion was fantastic and created such as buzz across the town and wider borough. It’s fantastic to see the organisation celebrate the role volunteers played in this and to highlight ways local businesses and individuals can support and participate moving forward, epitomising what the South Tyneside Pledge is all about.”
The event takes place from 5.30pm on Thursday June 6 at Hebburn FC. Guests can enjoy a tour of the fantastic facilities, hear about future plans and see the work that goes on behind the scenes. Guest speakers, including local businesses, will highlight how they reap benefits from partnering with the club, and there will be opportunity to network.
Stephen, who played for Hebburn between 1998-2001, said:
“We want to recognise the hard work of our own team and other great volunteers in the community, and use it as an opportunity to create new partnerships with people, businesses and organisations who are doing great things across the borough.
“The Pledge is a fantastic catalyst for positive change in South Tyneside. It provides a platform for business, sports clubs and people who just want to make a positive difference in South Tyneside and Hebburn Town FC is very proud to support it.”
The event is open to all local businesses and organisations and attendance is free. Booking is available via EventBrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hebburn-fc-summer-social-tickets-909882351607?aff=oddtdtcreator
