It’s received funding from the Council’s King Charles III Coronation Youth Fund to boost its football programme for girls.
The club has received a share of £430,000 which has been split between 21 borough-wide organisations.
It runs training sessions and games for around 75 young players each week with four dedicated teams for girls.
Founded in 2014 after Stephen Adams stepped in to salvage a children’s football training session on Eelbrook Common when the coaching company folded, the club has evolved from its unconventional start.
“When the coaches didn’t show up, everyone was so disappointed,” explains Stephen, who had signed up for the sessions with his young son.
“I had a football in the car, so I went and got it out and just did a little session myself. We thought maybe we’d got the date wrong, but I secretly went and bought some cones and bibs and by the third week of running the sessions, we had 30 kids and they’d told all their friends.”
Now running training sessions and games for around 75 young players each week, Aspire FC has four dedicated teams for girls ranging from under-12s to under-16s, as well as a team for under-16 boys.
