YOUTH CHARTER STANDARD STATUS AWARDED TO SPENNITHORNE & HARMBY JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB

Over the coming weeks North Riding FA will be announcing which clubs have achieved The FA’s Charter Standard status – and we start with Spennithorne & Harmby Junior Football Club, who are now Youth Charter Standard accredited.

Charter Standard status is for clubs who can be proud to be places where people want to play, demonstrating that they offer well-run and sustainable football.

Clubs who achieve Charter Standard status are proud to prioritise qualified coaching and safeguarding as well as the values of The FA’s Respect campaign.

After achieving Charter Standard status, Spennithorne & Harmby JFC’s U9 coaches, Geoff Cox and Ben Dalton, said the following:

“Spennithorne & Harmby JFC is a small, family-orientated, village club, with a handful of parent volunteers, so we are especially proud to have regained our FA Charter Standard status.
 
“Due to dwindling numbers of children in the Dales villages taking up football, and the close proximity of other junior clubs, we have struggled to maintain junior teams over the past couple of seasons. This is a huge shame, as we are in a fantastic location and have our own excellent ground and playing facilities. The senior football club is proud to have been one of the founder member clubs of the Wensleydale League and celebrated its centenary this summer.
 
“At the start of this season, the junior club only had one team, but we have the pleasure of coaching a close-knit group of enthusiastic and talented U9s, with highly supportive and participative parents and volunteers. We have since had two volunteer parents step up to the coaching challenge and we are excited to have recently launched football-based training and development sessions for younger boys and girls.
 
“Without the support of volunteers and sponsors, we wouldn’t be able to continue. We are therefore extremely grateful to House and Home of Leyburn, and to Saks at Sedbury Hall, for their generosity in sponsoring a new kit for the U9 team for this season, which has been designed by one of the U9 players! Also, I would like to express the club's gratitude to W A Tunstall & Son builders of Harmby for very generously offering to cover the costs of our indoor winter training venue. 
 
"It is starting to feel like the junior club is on the up again. Achievement of FA Charter Standard status is a hugely positive step forward in trying to maintain and grow the club, and to continue to promote the playing of junior football in the Dales.” 

Len Scott, North Riding FA Chairman, added: “I’d like to congratulate Spennithorne & Harmby on reaching Charter Standard status; they’ve done a great job. This is what football is all about – coming out to a small club in the sticks and seeing young players put on the right path. Spennithorne & Harmby have reached Charter Standard status and this will hopefully percolate through the game, showing what football’s all about and how to behave, and hopefully solving some of the problems we have in football.”

To learn more about Charter Standard and to access an application form, please CLICK HERE