Folkestone Invicta set to earn £20k through education

Thursday 25th March 2010

FOLKESTONE INVICTA have been asked to act as a host club for a new Modern Apprenticeship, which will be delivered by Luis Michael Training.

This is aimed at 16-18 year olds who are not in full-time education and entails the following elements:

Key Skills Level 1 & 2 - Numeracy & communication

NVQ Level 2 - Activity Leadership

Community Sports leadership Award - British Sports Trust

Fit for Sport Industry Awareness Technical Certificate - English FA

Child Welfare - HSE

Emergency First Aid - HSE

The course is structured over 26 weeks and includes 2-3 hours of classroom tutor time. In addition to this, enrolled youngsters are expected to be involved in 15 hours 'related activity' (consolidated learning) in any environment. This should mean that course members can qualify for Education Maintenance Allowance.

In addition, there is £100 bonus for young people who reach the halfway stage of the course, and another £100 bonus for completing the course.

The Football Club itself receives £500 for every young person who successfully completes this course, which has already been adopted by other Kent Clubs including Deal and Ramsgate.

There is the potential for the cash-strapped Ryman League Division One South club to earn £20K annually from this source, all of which would be recycled into the provision of modern artificial surface facilities for the club's youth section.

Chairman Lynn Woods said in a statement, which was posted to www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk said: “This is not an onerous responsibility for the club - it is the training company and its course tutors who bear the main responsibility for delivering the course and managing participants.

“However, for it to operate well Invicta needs to be working proactively in support, and the club is therefore looking for a couple of people who are willing to offer up a bit of spare time to act as its point of contact and to liaise with the training company, schools, the Youth Offending Team, Kent Connexions, and other organisations who will be interested in partnering.

“Anyone interested in further information on this initiative should please contact me by email Lynn@adastra.com.

Meanwwhile, since learning of the death in service of Rifleman Aldridge, Folkestone Invicta have repeatedly scheduled to commemorate his loss but fixtures have been postponed because of the wintry weather.

The Club can now confirm that, with the blessing of the Aldridge family, the Cheriton Road club will invite the town to join with them to pay their respects to Rifleman Aldridge on Tuesday, 20th April, when Croydon Athletic are the visitors to Cheriton Road.

As the Aldridge family came to Folkestone from Croydon two years ago, this presents the opportunity to do something more substantial in the young man's memory.

Chairman Mr Woods continued: “We are therefore inviting the wider community to join us in observing a minute's silence before the match, and to precede the silence with a roll-call of organisations, businesses, schools and clubs in and around Folkestone and Croydon who are represented on the evening to pay their respects.

“To encourage a good attendance we propose to waive the normal gate charge and allow free entry.

The Garrison is then organising a gate collection for Help for Heroes and we hope those attending will donate generously to that very worthy cause.

“To be in good time for the pre-match roll-call we are asking all spectators to please be at the ground by soon after 7pm.

“We believe there are very many in the local community who would value the opportunity to share in our commemoration of a young life lost in the service of his country, and to demonstrate that as a Garrison Town Folkestone, like Wootton Bassett, is ready to recognise our Armed Forces and the sacrifices they bear. All will be welcomed irrespective of whether they wish to stay on for the match itself.”

More details of on-the-day arrangements will be issued a few days prior to 20th April.

Representatives of local groups who wish to support this occasion are requested to contact the club by emailing Lynn@adastra.com.

Article courtesy of www.folkestoneinvicta.co.uk

Folkestone Invicta v Fleet Town

Ryman League Division One South

Saturday 27th March 2010

Kick Off 3:00pm

At Cheriton Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 5JU