Ex-Man United star and former England boss heap praise on football heroes

15 Community Champions were honoured at a House of Lords Reception earlier this week for their outstanding contributions at Barclays Spaces for Sports facilities in their communities.

The event was hosted by talkSPORT’s Georgie Bingham, while footballing legends Dion Dublin, Graham Taylor, Lawrie McMenemy and John Scales were among those who heaped praise on the deserving group.

Each region of country was represented by individuals selected from a pool of hundreds of people, many of whom are volunteers, that give up their time to run Barclays Spaces for Sports facilities.

The Community Champions are relied upon by their areas for a range of responsibilities, including coaching, maintaining facilities, first aid, catering, fund raising, mentoring and many other tasks key in helping grass level sports, such as football.

Barclays Spaces for Sports is the UK’s largest ever sports-based corporate social responsibility programme. Launched in 2004 it saw international bank Barclays partner with the Football Foundation to develop 204 multi-sports sites in disadvantaged communities right across the country.

The investment into the Barclays Spaces for Sports facilities programme in the UK was £67m. The sites built as a result play host to more than 30 different kinds of sport and are used by over 88,000 people every week with participation, not sporting excellence, the key ethos.

Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of The Football Foundation, said: “More than 88,000 people are now using Barclays Spaces for Sports sites across the UK every week, thanks to investment provided by Barclays and the Football Foundation since 2004. Tonight’s Reception showcased the lasting sports infrastructure legacy that this partnership has created for hundreds of the most deprived communities across the country.

“It is important that sites that have received considerable initial investment over the last 11 years remain financially sustainable throughout their usable life, so they do not require local authority or any other subsidy to maintain them. This is made possible through the work of the Football Foundation’s Grant Managers, who have helped to develop an individually tailored Sustainability Plan for each site. But it is also thanks to the tremendous work of the 15 Community Champions and the hundreds of others like them who are so critical to grassroots sports throughout the country.”

List of Community Champions in full

1 - Name: Maria Calway-Kennedy

Site: Y-Services for Young People multi-use games area at Forton Road, Gosport

Role: Director and Trustee of Y-Services

2 - Name: Andrew McKinnon

Site: Junction 4 Skatepark, Blackburn

Role: Skatepark Manager

3 - Name: Oliver Graham

Site: Hamsterley Trailblazers, County Durham

Role: Vice Chair

4 - Name: Peter Richmond

Site: Colchester Leisure World, Essex