Gift of light for Hexham Juniors FC

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 30th May 2008

Derek Kennedy with Hexham Juniors Football Team

In 6 short years the Hexham Juniors Football Club has made significant progress both on an off the field. As the club advances towards a long held ambition for junior football in Hexham, having a place Junior Football can call 'home', Northumberland County Councillor Derek Kennedy of Hexham West has stepped in to back the club's ambition and effort by allocating almost £10,000 from the Council's Local Improvement Scheme Fund to the DukesHouse Wood Development. This contribution will be used specifically to provide the floodlighting for the training pitch at DukesHouse Wood.

The development at DukesHouse Wood has been almost two years in the planning and a significant amount of time and resource has been invested in the project by Tynedale District Council, Tynedale Leisure and the Football Club. When complete the facility will provide first class playing, training and changing facilities for both youth and junior football teams from within the town and wider community. By 2009 the Hexham Football Club estimate that close on 300 people will be involved in the game in either a playing or coaching capacity. The club will field 18 teams for both boy's and girls football and is today viewed as one of the largest local football clubs in Northumberland. Having achieved Development status under the Football Association's Charter Standard scheme the club now boasts 21 qualified football coaches and the facility at DukesHouse, once complete, will give junior Football in Hexham the home it has craved for so long. The facility will also enable the club to progress with it's football development plans which include player and coach training and education.

Jon Armstrong from the Hexham Football Club commented "I'm delighted that Councillor Derek Kennedy has been able to support this initiative, a worthy project that will deliver so much to young people from both Hexham and the surrounding areas for years to come. Football and sport in general is important for youngsters as they grow and develop as it helps them develop as individuals and as people. I know Councillor Derek Kennedy has been keen to understand the plans that the football club have for the development of football particularly and I think he was surprised to learn that Hexham is in fact one of the largest junior football clubs in Northumberland and has a specific and well documented development plan for football" .

Councillor Kennedy added "This is so exciting, I've been following the progress of Hexham Juniors for some time and I'm so pleased to be able to provide a contribute to the scheme at DukesHouse Wood. I look forward to seeing the club stage their first game at the new home, hopefully in time for the start of the 2009/10 season, just 16 short months away."