Thanks to Veterans’ Foundation funding, the Curzon Ashton Community Foundation has been able to knock down any financial barriers blocking veterans from being brought together through football.
Curzon Ashton Armed Forces Community Hub’s programme not only gives veterans the chance to train with like minds and play ‘the beautiful game’ together, but it also runs a gardening club and cookery classes to teach new skills and foster that forces camaraderie that many veterans miss.
This year, the scheme has included 58 members of the armed forces community aged between 28 and 72, with family members of veterans taking part and four veterans even volunteering as football coaches.
Isaac Keast is the Curzon Ashton Military Veterans Football Team Manager and has nothing but praise for the project: “This programme has helped me grow not only as a football coach but as a person,” he said.
“I have always had an admiration for the Armed Forces, my late stepdad was a Sergeant for the Royal Signals and having the chance to work alongside ex-military personnel was something I was really looking forward to.”
Thanks to the relationships Curzon Ashton has formed with local armed forces support groups, they can provide help for a variety of issues that veterans can face in civilian life.
From housing and welfare advice to one-to-one mental health support, the programme has been a lifesaver for many ex-forces personnel, including one Curzon Ashton Military Veteran Football Team player who explained how the programme is actively helping him and his fellow veterans.
“It bridges the gap between veteran, serving and transitioning out of the forces, giving all common ground for discussion and most importantly support from all sides.”
Curzon Ashton Community Foundation's project is just one of hundreds supported by the Veterans' Foundation since the charity's inception back in 2016.
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