By KLTV Newsdesk –
This summer, groups of young people across Kirklees gained valuable skills and confidence as a result of a free week of activities being put on by the Huddersfield Town Foundation
14-year-old Mackenzie from Dalton was having a pretty boring summer holiday at home until he heard about the programme from a relative who had seen an advert online.
He decided to join, and ended up taking part in every session at the DRAM Centre between Monday 16 and Friday 20 August, learning new skills and meeting new people.
As well as plenty of physical activity and sports, there were also educational activities, including workshops from the Kirklees Democracy Commission and Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust.
‘More Confident’
Explaining what he learnt during his time with the Foundation Mackenzie, who is a big Huddersfield Town fan, said: “I’m now aware of more topics, such as the dangers of gambling and being more confident to speak in front of others.
“My confidence has gone up because I’ve got to meet lots of new people and I’m glad I came to the activities.”
The Town Foundation often encourages those who take part in the activities to look to further opportunities within the charity and football club, and Mackenzie was thrilled to have been able to be a ball boy during Town’s Sky Bet Championship victory over Preston North End.
When asked what advice he would give to another young person who may wish to get involved he added: “Just go for it – you can always speak to someone or say if you don’t like it so just give it a go and you won’t regret it.”
Future Activities
While the summer activities may be coming to an end, the free activities aren’t ending quite yet.
Anyone who’s looking to encourage their child to take part in regular physical activity can now take a look at the Foundation’s free Premier League Kicks sessions.
While the sessions are primarily football-based, they also give participants access to a range of other opportunities, including educational workshops and volunteering.
All sessions are held at Leeds Road Sports Complex, are open to all, and the timetable for each group can be found below:
Mondays 6-7pm – Women & Girls (8-18 year olds)
Thursdays 6-7pm – Disability (8-18 year olds)
Fridays 7-9pm – 14-18 year olds (This session restarts on Friday 17 September)
Those who would like to register interest can do so by contacting enquiries@htafcfoundation.com and a member of the team will be in touch.
The programme was funded by Kirklees Council’s School’s Out initiative.