Chester FC Community Trust helped children and families across Chester enjoy a summer of fun, activity and new experiences, delivering hundreds of hours of activities alongside nutritious meals and practical support for local families.
Across its summer holiday programme, the Trust delivered 229 hours of activity across 46 sessions, recording an impressive 1,296 attendances. Alongside providing opportunities for children to stay active, learn new skills and make friends, the programme also helped families manage some of the additional pressures that can come with the school holidays.
A total of 288 free lunches were provided to children attending the programme, while, thanks to generous support from our principal partner MBNA, 276 essential food bags were distributed to local families, containing cupboard staples and essential food items to provide additional support throughout the summer.
A summer full of activities
The programme brought together a range of activities and partnerships to give children opportunities to try something new, develop their confidence and enjoy their school holidays in a safe, welcoming environment.
Activities included the Trust’s popular Football Holiday Camps in partnership with Goals, the Summer Holiday Activity and Food Programme at Highfield Community Primary School, and the Healthy Holidays programme supported by MBNA.
The Trust also delivered a series of Blacon summer activities supported by local Blacon councillors, offering children access to a diverse range of experiences. These included Game On Football, rugby league sessions with Chester Gladiators, circus skills, Cheshire Dance and adaptive gaming workshops.
Across the wider programme, children enjoyed a variety of sports, games and creative activities, including football, dodgeball, rounders, cricket, arts and crafts and traditional playground games. Breakfast and a nutritious lunch were also provided for children attending the relevant holiday provision.
Making a difference to local families
The impact of the programme was reflected in feedback from parents, who highlighted the enjoyment their children experienced, the friendships they developed and the positive memories they took away from the summer.
One parent said: “They had an absolutely fantastic time and really enjoyed the activities. They came home very happy and excited, and even said that they would love to take part again if there are more sessions in the future.”
Another parent described the holiday club as one of the highlights of their son’s summer, adding that he made friends quickly, enjoyed the sports and regularly came home talking about the games and staff.
A third parent summed up their appreciation by saying: “Our children are very lucky to have you all. My girls love the sessions and love the staff thank you so much.”
Alongside the activities themselves, the distribution of 276 food bags provided a further layer of support for families, helping them access essential food items during a period when household budgets can come under additional pressure.
Community Trust CEO Jim Green said: “Our aim is to give children opportunities to be active, try different activities, develop new skills and make new friends, while helping families access free or low cost activities during what can be a challenging time of year.
“With the support of our partners, we’re really proud to have been able to offer our most varied summer programme yet, and thanks to MBNA, we have also been able to distribute hundreds of food bags containing cupboard staples and essential items, helping families with practical support.”
Thank you to our partners
The Trust would like to thank MBNA, Goals, Highfield Community Primary School, Blacon councillors, Chester Gladiators, Cheshire Dance, James Bazley Circus, and Adaptive Gaming, and all the staff, coaches and volunteers who helped make the summer programme possible.
Their support has helped the Trust provide positive experiences for children, support families and ensure more young people across the local community could enjoy an active and fulfilling summer holiday.
Through its holiday provision, Chester FC Community Trust continues to use the power of the Chester FC badge to make a positive difference to local people, combining opportunities for sport and physical activity with access to healthy food, new experiences and practical family support.