Football club given £1,000, but hit by raid

A sum of £1,053 has been presented to Sibsey Youth Football Club through the Lincolnshire Co-op’s Community Champions scheme.

This sees society’s members linked to a good cause in their area, so every time they use their Dividend Card in any Lincolnshire Co-op outlet where dividend is issued, a donation is made to the cause.

Adrian Wood, 52, manager of the under-11s team of Sibsey Youth Football Club, said the club was ‘over the moon’ when it learned about the money on its way.

He said: “It doesn’t happen. We don’t get money like this.”

But the club saw its fortunes take a turn for the worse when it suffered a break-in at its club house.

“When something like this happens, it brings you straight back down to earth again,” he said.

Mr Wood estimates somewhere between one third and half of the charitable sum is to be spent on new kits for the under-11s team. He said he hoped the remainder will be enough to repair the damage done to the clubhouse doors during the raid.

Member engagement manager for Lincolnshire Co-op Richard Whittaker said: “We’re sorry to hear about the recent break-in and we hope this donation will keep spirits high by helping towards the cost of repair, with some left over for the club to spend on other things, too.

“Once again we say a big thank you to our members for continuing to shop and raise funds for groups in their communities – it wouldn’t work without them.”

Mr Wood thanked Lincolnshire Co-op for its donation and also appealed for anyone interested in managing an under 8s, 9s, or 10s side at the club to email him on [email protected]