
I’m running the London Marathon for the Lincoln City Foundation, and it occurred to me that so many people don’t understand how far the Foundation go to provide services and support for the local community.
With that in mind, I’ve decided to have a couple of days with them, looking at their provisions, talking to people positively impacted by their efforts, and hopefully, opening your eyes to the great work they do. Of course, my intention is that in doing so, you’ll feel moved to add your name to the growing list of sponsors, pushing the total towards the £2000 mark.
If you wish to sponsor me, you can do so here
For obvious reasons, there are no photos in this article. I have used stock photos from Pixabay for reference.
I once operated under the belief everything the Foundation did was aimed at kids. I did a healthy eating thing with them as Poacher, and back in the day, we used to have the kid’s club at the ground in Poacher’s Corner, which fuelled my belief.
Recently, I’ve been at great pains to outline how there’s more to what they do than kids, with the Fighting Fit, for instance. However, it is also important to show that there is still provision for young people among the many, many things the Foundation offers.
I’ve been fortunate to witness several of their projects first hand. Two impressed me massively, the first being a collaboration between the Foundation and St Peter at Gowts Primary School. It’s on the corner of the High Street and Scorer Street, and it has a small footprint. There’s no scope for the kids to play football there, but after hours, they do get a chance.
I was fortunate enough to see them enjoying a spell on the astroturf next to the ground, with a mix of their teachers and Foundation coaches leading some fun sessions. It was girls and boys, and I was told there were almost 40 pupils there playing. Teacher Sam Magee couldn’t say enough nice things about the impact the program has on their kids. With nothing but a concrete playground, it seemed like being able to engage with the Foundation freed those children, giving them access to football. Given that the school has around 250 pupils, getting around 20% to play football after school was huge.
Of course, not all young people in the area are into football, and that’s where the youth club come in. I used to go to a youth club in Wragby, like many, it’s not really there anymore. There was a pool table, sports hall, and a squash court, and most of the local kids went. It kept us off the streets and helped me become a decent squash player (some might argue the word ‘decent‘ is doing a lot of heavy lifting). The value of youth provision is wildly underestimated in today’s society.
That’s why I was utterly delighted to see the new building at the back of the Stacey West become a youth club after hours. All manner of kids of various ages poured in: some played FIFA, some played pool, and some just seemed to make a hell of a lot of noise. There was food and drink, something we all take for granted but that perhaps some kids in the area don’t, and for a few minutes, I was completely blown away by the whole thing. That sounds so twee, doesn’t it? I don’t care; it felt like a throwback to my youth, where the kids could play some music, engage with workers and just be in a safe place.
This provision doesn’t come for free, but some of the people supporting it do. I spoke to a volunteer who goes along in the week just to support the kids alongside her regular job. It impressed me to see such selflessness, and I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The Foundation doesn’t just rely on money raised by the likes of me but also on its people, some of whom merely want to make Lincoln a better place for everyone. I respect that so much.
I whiled away a few moments watching two kids play FIFA (better than me) and chatted to a couple who were engaged in various activities. It took me back to my younger days at Wragby, where my Dad actually volunteered. These sorts of places have faded over the years, ground down by both red and blue governments and funding cuts. It warmed me to know that in one corner of LN5, perhaps some money I am raising will help give these kids a similar experience I had back in the early 1990s.