Grant helps Grays locals to be more athletic!

Grays Athletic’s fitness and football sessions have been a huge hit and they hope another community grant can have a similarly strong impact.

The club host between 10-20 players twice a week as part of a drive to improve men’s physical and mental health in Thurrock, with the initiative supported by a grant from Pitching In’s Trident Community Foundation.

They have now been successful in applying for another grant, which will be targeted at improving the club’s branding and marketing in the area, and chairman Lee Vehit is in no doubt as to the importance of the grants for the fan-owned club.

“Without our community shaping our future, we don’t have a football club, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“These grants which allow us to do more in our community are huge for us. 

“The fitness and football programme has been incredible. There is a huge obesity crisis in Thurrock, it far outweighs the majority of the UK, so we put on weekly football sessions which act as a bit of a weight loss programme as well.

“It is amazing to see. We have chaps in their 60s and 70s playing with youngsters in their late teens and early 20s, there are people coming towards the end of their weight loss journey and others just starting it.

“To see them in a comfortable environment where they are not judged on their ability or size but simply improving their health, including their mental health, which can be a taboo subject for men, is invaluable.”

The Trident Community Foundation, which supports new and existing community projects, has awarded more than £700,000 to Trident League clubs across the country since being established in 2020.

Grays are battling to avoid the drop in the Pitching In Isthmian League North Division and currently groundshare with Tilbury FC, hampering their ability to generate matchday income. Plans remain in place to move back to Thurrock at Ship Lane but in the meantime, the club are focusing on youth engagement to ensure their presence is still felt locally.

“We are not in the best financial situation, we don’t have a lot of money to do stuff in our community, so the latest grant will help us create exposure and a positive narrative,” Vehit added.

“It allows us to have some visual identity when we are going into schools to help promote ourselves in a really positive light. Having some branding and stuff that clearly identifies us as a club helps strengthen our narrative and helps us look more professional.

“We have to make sure we are engaged with our local schools. We have a really rich and vibrant youth section, we have walking football teams, fitness and football, as well as a really strong women’s section which we are growing year on year.

“Engaging with our community is fundamental to the club’s progress and these grants are vitally important for that.”

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Words from Paul Martin.