Oakland Foundation Backs Alcester Town FC Summer Camps to Help More Children Stay Active, Fed and Included This Summer

Children's charity the Oakland Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to removing financial barriers for young people by supporting Alcester Town FC's Summer Camps programme, helping ensure hundreds of local children can access healthy, active and inclusive holiday activities.

Oakland Foundation Trustee Mark Williams recently visited one of the club's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) sessions, where more than 50 children aged between four and 14 were enjoying football coaching, tournaments and team activities in a safe and supportive environment.

Together with children taking part in the HAF activities, Oakland Foundation Trustee Mark Williams with Jack Atkinson Alcester Town FC coach.

The Foundation has part funded the programme, which is designed to support children from Alcester and surrounding Worcestershire and Warwickshire communities, particularly those from lower-income families, children eligible for free school meals and HAF-funded places, and those who may otherwise miss out on holiday activities because of financial or social barriers.

Oakland Foundation Trustee Mark Williams said: "Every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy their school holidays, stay active and be part of something positive, regardless of their family's financial situation. Seeing so many children having fun, learning new skills and building friendships at the Alcester Town FC camp was genuinely inspiring."

Running over four weeks during the summer holidays, the camps offer structured coaching, games and activities that encourage teamwork, confidence, resilience and physical wellbeing. For children attending on funded places, a nutritious lunch is provided each day, helping to ease pressure on families during the school break while ensuring children are fuelled and ready to participate.

The support will help provide around 240 fully funded places throughout the programme, ensuring a family's financial circumstances do not determine whether their child can access positive experiences, make friends, learn new skills and stay active during the holidays.

Mark added: "We know that the school holidays can be particularly challenging for some families. By helping to fund places and meals, we can remove barriers that might otherwise prevent children from taking part. These experiences can have a lasting impact on a child's confidence, wellbeing and sense of belonging, which is exactly why the Oakland Foundation is proud to support initiatives like this."

The Oakland Foundation focuses on supporting projects that create lasting change for children and young people, particularly those who face barriers to opportunity. Through grants and community partnerships, the charity invests in initiatives that promote education, wellbeing, inclusion and personal development.

The Alcester Town FC Summer Camps are delivered by qualified coaches with DBS checks and FA safeguarding credentials, with a strong emphasis on participation, enjoyment and development rather than performance or selection.

Club Director and Welfare Officer at Alcester Town FC Marcia Cox said: ‘‘We're incredibly grateful to the Oakland Foundation for their continued support of our Summer Camps. Their funding has enabled us to remove financial barriers for many local families, ensuring more children can enjoy an active, safe and inclusive summer.

“Seeing so many children smiling, making new friends and developing both on and off the pitch has been fantastic. Partnerships like this make a genuine difference to our community, and we're proud to be working alongside the Oakland Foundation to create opportunities that every child deserves.’’

The camps will continue throughout the summer, providing children with a positive environment where they can remain active, develop confidence, build friendships and enjoy healthy meals. By helping to remove financial barriers to participation, the Oakland Foundation hopes to ensure more young people can access opportunities that enrich their lives, support their wellbeing and create positive memories that last long after the summer holidays have ended.