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2005
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February 2005
> Soccer Exclusive for Local School Children
Pupils at Sacred Heart Primary School in Accrington were the first to find out that Blackburn Rovers had been drawn against local rivals Burnley in the next round of the FA Cup when player Lucas Neill payed them an exclusive visit yesterday, minutes after the tie was announced.
The visit had been organised by local housing association Eaves Brook, who are delivering a number of community initiatives throughout Hyndburn. They have recently teamed up with Blackburn Rovers to deliver football coaching to pupils at local schools and arranged for Lucas to visit Sacred Heart and present the school football team with a brand new kit.
Mandy Foster, Neighbourhood Regeneration Officer at Eaves Brook said:
“The children were in desperate need of a football strip to make their team complete and we are so pleased to be able to donate this to them. It was of course made all the more special because Lucas Neill presented it to them and they were thrilled when he told them the cup-tie before anyone else. It was a real treat!”
The whole school assembled in the hall to listen to Mandy explain how Eaves Brook, through their Neighbourhood Management scheme, are helping the local community, before applauding their football team as they were presented with the new kit.
Members of the Blackburn Rovers’ coaching team were then on hand to run a football session with the youngsters and Lucas delighted them by staying for a kick-about and demonstrating his own soccer skills.
The Neighbourhood Management programme that Eaves Brook are now delivering to the area, in partnership with Hyndburn Borough Council, focuses on a number of initiatives and projects set to create more stable and cohesive neighbourhoods, and the football-in-the-community initiative is just one way in which Eaves Brook are engaging with local youngsters.
Mandy comments:
“The coaching sessions that we have arranged with Blackburn Rovers are very much community focused and concentrate largely on the teamwork ethic that we feel is essential to what we want to achieve for Hyndburn. Football holds such a wide appeal and is such a great source of enjoyment that we feel this is one of the best ways we can reach the younger members of our community.”
The football coaching sessions are currently taking place in schools throughout Accrington and are open to children of all ages and abilities.