Football club is aiming to open up to community

Hebburn Town FC - recently crowned champions of Northern Premier League East Division – wants its Hebburn Sports Ground, in Victoria Road, to become a meeting spot and functions venue.

It unveiled the plan in the run-up to National Volunteers Week – as it celebrates the work its own ‘back room’ team play in the running of the club and the work they already do in the wider community.

Alongside the club’s directors, chief executive, Stephen Rutherford, has turned Hebburn into a genuine success story – taking the club from 11th in the Northern Premier Division 2 to top spot in Division 1, since taking over in 2017.

The club now has over 1,000 players in a range of teams, including around 100 women and girls.

The 112-year-old club now has its sights set on playing a wider role in the community and plans to showcase the importance of volunteers, as part of its commitment to the South Tyneside Pledge.

The Pledge, launched by South Tyneside Council, encourages local businesses and organisations to work together on projects which make real difference to the lives of residents in the borough.

Stephen, who played for Hebburn between 1998-2001, said: “The Pledge is something this club really believes in. We already put on free junior summer sessions for youngsters and now we want to go further, targeting the people and businesses around Hebburn.

“There are a lot of people in the town who have never been inside our fences and have no idea what we have to offer.

"Football is a great way of uniting people. There are many ways to get involved and we want to provide a welcoming, community hub for a range of people and organisations.”

He added: “As an amateur club, everyone involved with Hebburn is a volunteer.

"So much of that work goes unnoticed, so we also want to showcase them and the vital role they play.”

Cllr Paul Dean, the council’s lead member for the voluntary sector, partnerships, and equalities, said: “Creating opportunities for residents to connect and participate in their communities is a priority for us and we work closely with partners on a range of activities to promote volunteering and nurture our voluntary and community sector.

“Hebburn Town’s recent promotion was fantastic and created such as buzz. It’s fantastic to see the organisation celebrate the role volunteers played in this, epitomising what the South Tyneside Pledge is all about.”

PANEL

The club is hosting an event during Volunteers’ Week - from Monday June 3 to Sunday June 9 – to celebrate unsung heroes who dedicate themselves to the day-to-day running of the club and show the impact this has across the community.

The event takes place from 5.30pm on Thursday June 6 at Hebburn FC, where guests can enjoy a tour of the facilities, hear about future plans and see the work that goes on behind the scenes.

Guest speakers will highlight how they reap benefits from partnering with the club, and there will be networking opportunities.

The event is open to all local businesses and organisations and attendance is free.

To book, go to https://investsouthtyneside.com/event/hebburn-town-fc-summer-social/