Touring the Netherlands, securing a lucrative funding deal and maintaining welfare for one of the Country’s flagship youth leagues are just three of the contributors towards Marina Bull earning the McDonald’s Outstanding Contribution to Community Football Award at the Essex County FA’s Awards Evening on Thursday 29th July.
Marina, Chairperson of Flitch Youth FC and Welfare Officer for the Chelmer & Crouch 9v9 Youth League, was one of a number of volunteers rewarded for their efforts at the annual ceremony at Waterfront Place in Chelmsford. She reacted: “I’m chuffed to pieces that people in our club had nominated me. It’s a wonderful achievement to be rewarded and recognised for the hard work that not just myself but everybody puts in to making our football club a success.”
Since Flitch were formed in 2007, Marina has been at the forefront of its progress. Her efforts have included helping the club to achieve FA Charter Standard status, organising a tour to the Netherlands and securing £70,000 of funding for ground and facility improvements. She has also volunteered for the Chelmer & Crouch League, a competition which became the first in Essex, and one of the first nationally, to achieve the Charter Standard League Award.
In recognition of their growing reputation, Flitch were asked to participate in the 2010 Rood Witt Tournament in Holland over Easter, a contest which has been running for the last 12 years including over 60 teams from Holland, Germany, Belgium and elsewhere in the UK. Marina recalled: “We took 20 children to Holland this year for a two-day tournament and they had the most fantastic experience. The children, mums and dads all had a wonderful time and there was lots of fundraising. We’ll be doing the same again next season.”
Sponsorship is an area of expertise for Marina, who helped to negotiate a £20,000 grant from the Football Foundation towards a wider project at Flitch, adding: “I’ve been working very closely with our parish council for the last three years and we’ve just completed over £70,000 worth of fundraising. Our new changing rooms, showers and pitches are at the point of being completed so we are ready to start the season with some fantastic and dedicated facilities at last!”
Michael Game, Chairman of the Essex County FA, was responsible for handing out a number of the mementoes on the night and he paid tribute to the “rich tapestry” of volunteers involved in the largest footballing county in England. He explained that grassroots football in the region, as elsewhere, faced some of its greatest challenges at the present time though he reinforced the sport’s future is in safe hands providing the current volunteer workforce remains strong.
Some of the other award winners from North-West Essex included:
10-Year Long Service Award
Ian O’Sullivan (Spartak 78 YFC): Ian has provided ten years of service, during which time he has managed a team from the Under 9s through to the 17s and he has just taken on the management of another team at Under 10s as well. He is also the Vice-Chairman of the club and contributes many hours to help ensure they continue to develop so young people get to play football.
30-Year Long Service Award
Philip Newman (Sheering FC, Bishop’s Stortford, Stansted & District League): Phillip has provided 41 years of service to Sheering FC. This has been as a player, a groundsman, a trustee and as Chairman since 1992. He has also been a member of the Management Committee of the Bishops Stortford, Stansted & District League for the last eleven seasons.
Award of Merit
Bob Tyler (Barnston AFC): Bob has devoted 43 years of service to Barnston AFC, acting as Reserve Team and First Team Manager, Club Secretary and Chairman. During these years, Bob has been instrumental in the development of the club and its facilities, including moving them to a new site and building the clubhouse.
Opportunities to ‘GetIntoFootball’ can be found at the Official Essex County FA Website, www.essexfa.com, which is also the place to listen to a full interview with Marina and view THP Sports Imaging’s photos from the Awards Evening. If you’d like more information on taking your first steps into grassroots football, contact Development Officer Nick Emery on (01245) 393077 or E-Mail [email protected]
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