In the Community

Welcome to Stafford Rangers in the Community, the football club’s own registered charity

The charity which is entirely independent of the parent club, is chaired by John Macmillan who has many years experience as a charity trustee. The other trustees are Andy Fearn, Tim Glayshier, Gary Bloor and Mark Alcock. Andy Turner, who is also the manager of Stafford Rangers Academy, is our Community Engagement Officer.

The charity aims to improve the lives of as many people as possible by promoting participation in healthy recreation by providing facilities for playing football and other sports and also by providing recreation and other leisure time activities for the benefit of people who need them because of their youth, age, disability or deprived social and economic circumstances.

But it isn’t just about football.

• Our Warm Spaces programme for lonely and isolated people has been attracting up to 20 people to the social club for a bit of company and a chat since February. We received £250 grant from Stafford Borough Council but if this immensely valuable scheme is to continue beyond the end of March we need to raise more money.
• A Careers Fair run in conjunction with Stafford Borough Council and the Job Centre, attracted over 30 businesses and 250 job seekers.
• We are running an Open Door Programme in collaboration with the Council where people on benefits who are finding life tough in terms of personal circumstances or lack of work opportunity volunteer to do work in the community. We have a volunteer working at the club on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday doing various jobs around the ground and he has also started coming to home games as a match day volunteer.
• Academy scholars attended a primary school for 3 days during “children’s sport week” in February working with various year groups. It was so successful that the school have invited the Scholars for work experience if they want to do it.
• Stafford and Stoke on Trent Health and Well being service want to collaborate with the charity and offer mentoring to the local community. They would like to bring a therapy bus to a home game and be a visual presence to see whether anyone needs their help etc.

Tots football is scheduled to start after Easter and disability football will start as soon as we have the funds in place. Further activities such as holiday sports camps for children from disadvantaged families, working with Ukranian and migrant families and a community grassroots football tournament are planned or under active consideration as is the creation of an elite pathway for our most talented juniors, but all are dependent on funds being available. We have applied to the National lottery for a grant of £10,000 but if you would like to support us and help us deliver benefits for many more people across Stafford and the surrounding area, go to our Just Giving page and make a donation.

For more information about Stafford Rangers in the Community including its governing instrument, grant making and safeguarding policies and its policy on managing conflicts of interest – click on the relevant link.

Stafford Rangers in the Community is a registered charity with charity number 1200424.

Delivering the official community programme of Stafford Rangers FC providing sport, physical activity and other recreation to communities across Staffordshire, but operating independently from it.