A thriving local economy depends on local businesses supporting one another. Never has it been more important to create and sustain strong community bonds that not only help to circulate money within the local economy, but that benefit the lives and provide opportunities for those who live there.
Part of the community
For us at Collingtons it’s crucial to be involved in the Helston community, and we’re thrilled to be able to do so as sponsors of the Under 8s football team, Helston Hurricanes. “Myself, my brothers and sister all went to Helston School,” says General Manager, Steve Cobbin, “so we have always been part of the community. Also, sport is a really important part of our whole health and well-being agenda, especially where children are involved. At Collingtons we have sponsored many teams, every year we review and decide which team we will sponsor so that we can give the maximum benefit to those who need it most.”
Love for football
Steve’s son, Joe, has always been into football. “He’s played from a very young age,” says Steve, “and when Helston Football Club were looking to start a new Under 8s team, we enquired about availability. Being local to Helston and within walking distance of the football club, it was ideal for us, so we were keen for Joe to join.”
Crisis talks
“Within a few weeks of Joe joining the coach asked if I could help out with training and games as there were a fair few kids signed up. I managed to help every other week or so, just to provide support. However after a few months the Coach moved away from Cornwall for work so the team found itself needing a new one. It was that or the team would fold! At this point, myself and a couple of the other parents decided to take this on between us, to ensure it would continue. Since then, the team has gone from strength to strength, and at the end of the season, we had sixteen kids signed up, with even more on the waiting list.”
Match kit
So, what does Collingtons’ sponsorship of the team entail? Steve explains: “When we took over the team, they didn’t have a proper match kit. The club is great at providing support with equipment and the training environment, however there aren’t unlimited funds so sponsorship needs to be sourced for each team, for training and match kits. Fortunately, the kids’ parents had paid for their training kits, however there was an opportunity for a company to sponsor the match-day kit. Working at Collingtons – my family’s business – has allowed me to support directly with this sponsorship. We have also had sponsorship for the kids’ training jackets and hoodies.”
A whirlwind ride
With a background in sports coaching, having studied Sports Science at college before completing a degree in Coaching and Therapy at university, Steve takes immense pleasure in helping the Helston Hurricanes develop, and it’s been an interesting ride so far. “Over the past season,” he explains, “we have been playing in the Under 8s Kernow Youth Football League. This has involved playing other local teams such as Falmouth, Truro, Hayle and Culdrose. It’s been a steep learning curve for the team as many of them had never played in matches before however they have improved massively over the season. We played at the Saints Southwest Tournament in April last year, for example, and lost to Marine Academy Plymouth 15-0! But when we played them again at another recent tournament we were able to narrow that margin to 3-2 which I think is testament to the development of the players and their growing understanding of the game. It’s wonderful to see this, and also to see the individual characters of the kids as they shine through their performances.
Keeping our eye on the ball
“It’s great to watch the kids develop and start to gel together as a team, and it’s a privileged position to be in. At one of the recent tournaments, the kids also got to meet a football managing legend – Neil Warnock – not that they knew who he was! It’ll be great to see how they get on over the coming months, and to see the team pictures at the start and end of each season, from now right the way through to when they begin joining the adult’s team. I would recommend it to any parent currently thinking of getting involved in their local club, and certainly to any local business in search of a way in which to support their local community.”
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