Page 25 - Real Rochdale Issue 05 Summer 2019

Keith Hicks - Rochdale AFC I came through the Academy at Oldham Athletic We do work with asylum seekers and host

and made appearances for both Latics and
disability programmes also. Sessions are seven
Hereford United, before I was forced to retire days a week.
Football in the Community Trust from the game. I played for Dale between 1985 How does the scheme benefit the
and 1987 and it was during a match against
Crewe Alexandra at Spotland that I sustained an
injury. Because I was looking for a job, I returned community?
to the club and just fell into the community Mentally, you just feel better running around
department. It was something new at the club playing football. People talk to us about a issues
and they needed a hand, so it was perfect timing. they have got but because of these sessions, they
feel like they are doing something worthwhile.
What are the aims of the trust?
We benefit through Primary Stars, when we go
The aims were, and still are, to encourage to schools one day a week for 6-12 weeks, then
more people to play football, and to offer sport teachers can copy our sessions if they want to.
opportunities to different groups of people.
We go to high schools to work with girls 14+,
When we first started, FICT was just a school’s funded by Premier League, as it is believed when
programme, and I went into local primary females get to 14, they lose all interest in sport
schools, high schools and SEN schools with a – they meet boys, have other issues and they
couple of bags of balls each week and simply just drop sport. We have got over 100 girls now
delivered football, that was it. involved in our all girls section. They benefit
because they can continue something they love,
As time has gone on, we have developed into whilst having a good social life.
a scheme where we have four main themes:
education, health, social inclusion and sports What has kept you going for these 32 years?
participation. We break all of our activities
down into these themes to benefit different There are different projects to be working on
individuals. every year and there are always new people to
Rochdale AFC’s Football in the Community Trust and Gordon Taylor from the PFA thought that meet. The Trust work really does keep you on
(FICT) initiative has been operating for 32 years. providing clubs with a community office, and We want to get kids off the streets. The Kicks your toes.
getting them out interacting with the locals, programme that we are doing does this at night
Officially introduced in Rochdale in September would be a good way to engage people in the time - we have got about 200 kids on Friday From the start. the project’s aim was for people
1987, Keith Hicks has been at the heart of the sport and prevent fighting. nights. One at Kingsway Park, one at Heywood to be able to access quality sport provision
trust from the very beginning. Sports Village, a session at Soccer Factory whatever their age, gender or ethnicity, and I
The scheme was initially introduced at six clubs and Rochdale Leisure Centre. A lot of them believe the same.
Community Sports Trust Manager since - Manchester City, Manchester United, Bolton are upcoming school leavers, so the BTEC we
October that same year, he has overseen the Wanderers, Oldham Athletic, Preston North End provide will be right up their street. I will always remember helping Jamie Allen –
transformation of the scheme across the last and Bury - before Rochdale and five other clubs current midfielder for Burton Albion - reach
three decades. joined six months later. One of the biggest issues at the moment in the professional level. He was recommended to the
borough is isolation, so we do the Silver 60s Dale Academy and given an apprenticeship.
We interviewed Mr Hicks about his work with The intention was to use the facilities at each to try and keep the senior citizens amongst us
Rochdale AFC, including some of the work the club to promote community engagement and active. In 2018, we had 35 senior members. This is just one of the highlights I have from my
Trust is doing currently. use players to act as role models, especially to time here and why I love the job.
youngsters in the local communities, which we Walking football set off about two/three years
What is Football in the Community Trust? are still doing today. ago and it is massive now all over the country. There are so many things that we do daily, and
There are games at Heywood Sports Village we try to benefit everyone who comes to us.
The scheme was set up by the Professional How/why did you get involved with the Trust? where they are in a league. One guy has lost two
Footballers’ Association (PFA) in the late 1970s/ stone in the last three years and he has got his I know we are a football club for mainly
early 80s when there was a lot of I played football all my life. My highlight was love back for football again. He has now been football fans, but we want to embrace all of the
playing at Old Trafford against Manchester invited to play for North West over 70s, which is community.
hooliganism surrounding football. Micky Burns United in the FA Cup - we beat them 2 – 0. brilliant.

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