Premier League footballer becomes patron of Crossbar Foundation

Premier League footballer Billy Jones has thrown his support behind a Shropshire charity ahead of them running a host of Christmas holiday courses around the county for youngsters.

The Sunderland defender has become a patron of the Crossbar Foundation, a pioneering charity launched in August to support and improve the quality of lives of young people in communities across Shropshire.

The Shrewsbury-born footballer, who visited the Crossbar offices during a trip to his home town, is delighted to be associated with the Foundation, which has close links with Crossbar Coaching Education in Sport, renowned for running popular holiday courses and delivering sport across the curriculum in a host of county primary schools.

Jamie Haynes, Crossbar's head of education in sport, said: "Billy is a friend of Crossbar's and we've known him for a number of years. When he heard about the Crossbar Foundation, he was really keen to get involved and was pleased to become a patron.

"Just like Dave Edwards of Wolves, another footballer we have a great relationship with, Billy is a great role model for local children. They can see someone who has grown up in Shrewsbury, attended similar courses to what the Foundation run and is now playing in the Premier League."

All proceeds from the Crossbar Foundation's busy programme of Christmas holiday courses next week will be used to engage with local children and young adults, often through sporting initiatives, and to make a difference in deprived areas around the county.

The Foundation has also joined forces with the Shrewsbury Food Hub, an umbrella group for charities and projects in Shrewsbury which benefit from donations of surplus food from local companies.

The partnership means healthy food will be provided to children attending a holiday course whom the coaches feel would benefit from having something extra in their lunch boxes.  

Andy Smith, the development manager for the Crossbar Foundation, said: "We met up with Ali and Katy from the Food Hub and were blown away really with what they've done. They deliver to 30 groups in the area and work from seven stores, so they go and collect the food and then distribute it.

"We've noticed at our holiday courses that there might be children who just have a packet of crisps or a chocolate bar with them. We want to engage them all day so it's not sustainable really when that's all they have to eat. Thanks to the Shrewsbury Food Hub, we will now be able to offer some of the children attending our courses additional healthy food."

Every child who takes part in one of Crossbar's Christmas courses, open to boys and girls between the ages of five and 13, will receive a present. Youngsters aged 12 and 13 are welcome attend as Crossbar Young Leaders.

The company will be running soccer schools at both Shrewsbury's London Road Sports Centre and Telford's Lawley Primary School from Monday, December 19 to Wednesday, December 21.

Multi-sports sessions will take place from next Monday through to Friday, December 23 at the London Road Sports Centre, which is also the venue for a dance camp from Monday to Wednesday. Multi-sports will run at Lawley Primary School next Thursday and Friday, with a street dance course at Telford's Hollinswood Primary School from Monday to Wednesday.

Holiday clubs, which combine multi-sports, movie club, arts and crafts, and other activities, will be held at Shrewsbury's Greenfields Primary School, Bayston Hill's Oakmeadow Primary School, Pontesbury Primary School, Broseley C of E Primary School and Telford primary schools Old Park and Redhill between Monday and Friday.

Courses run from 9am-3pm each day, with early and late pick ups available for an hour either side for an additional £2.50 each.

For more details and prices, which range from £10 to £15 per day, email admin@crossbarcoaching.com or call (01743) 362368.

Pictured: Sunderland footballer Billy Jones, left, who has become a patron of the Crossbar Foundation, with Andy Smith, the Foundation's development manager.