A grant of £1,000 was approved at last week’s meeting for GSPFA and the cheque was posted to them instead of being presented. Bob Owen of GPSFA has sent the text below for inclusion (subject to your edit) in the Hon Co newsletter and also sent a few pictures:
Gloucester Primary Schools’ FA, in addition to organising all the inter-school team sport in the city (football, netball, rugby, hockey & cricket), runs five representative teams (2 x Boys’ U11 & 1 x Boys’ U10 Development and 1 x Girls’ U11 & 1 x Girls’ U10 Development) that play against similar opposition from across the south of England and Midlands.
A typical season will see over a hundred district fixtures played, with each of the U11 sides also enjoying three tours and a number of trips away, with the ultimate aim being to develop both the children’s self-confidence and self-sufficiency (being able to take care of themselves in different environments and situations). While over the years, the city teams have enjoyed a good deal of on-field success – the Boys’ A Squad, for example, has won the Southern Counties Cup on more occasions than any other association, the real success has been the personal development of all the children that have represented it over the years.
Like most schools’ district associations, the coaches and behind-the-scenes staff are all volunteers, but GPSFA is probably unique in that all staff who accompany the children on their various trips & tours do so entirely at their own expense and in so doing effectively pay for the privilege of volunteering.
Gloucester PSFA would like to express its gratitude to the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire Charitable Trust for their support for the 2023/24 season. No child has ever missed a tour through the lack of a family’s ability to pay for it, but the financial strain this puts on the association as costs continue to spiral becomes greater with each passing year. The Trust’s support will ensure that those children whose family’s circumstances might be more challenging than others will continue to enjoy not only the sporting, but also the personal development opportunities afforded by these experiences and in so doing continue to make amazing memories that will last a lifetime.
