Haslingden Girls and Ladies FC was awarded £1,500 from Tesco

Haslingden Girls and Ladies Football Club (HGLFC) was awarded the £1,500 grant, voted by Tesco shoppers, and were presented with their cheque by community champion for Tesco Haslingden, Wendy Howarth.

HGLFC is a community football club based in Haslingden, and has been helping the community for 27 years.

It is the biggest female-only football club in the Rossendale Valley, serving more than 350 girls in Haslingden and surrounding areas in the last year alone.

The staff receiving their grant from Tesco (Image: Tesco)

Steve Ashworth, manager at HGLFC, said: “The free Saturday soccer sessions at HGLFC are aimed at transforming young girls’ lives.

"The community the club provides reaches out to the young people who need it the most, allowing them to form long-life friendships and connections within the area.

“HGLFC works to develop the problem-solving, self-reflection and planning skills of young people in response to the unproductive behaviours that many use to cope with hardship.

"Our coaches train young people to develop qualities like confidence and self-discipline so that they can develop the emotional toughness needed to overcome challenges on the pitch and at home, empowering them to realise their own potential.

“By placing engaging coaches in the Rossendale Valley, young people in these neighbourhoods can access positive influences and healthy activities.

"Overall, high-quality football training will address the disadvantages young people experience by providing role-models and safe activities that are often difficult to find in areas of deprivation.

“While Haslingden coaches are responsible for teaching physical and technical football skills, their true success is measured by indicators that affect the lives of their participants, providing mentoring which extends well beyond the pitch.”

Wendy said: “Presenting Haslingden Girls and Ladies FC with their grant is an honour, as I know they do so much for the local community of young girls and women.

“Being community champion means meeting so many amazing community groups in both Haslingden and Bury, and I’m so pleased to do it.

“The community and voluntary groups I work with are so special and bring the towns together, and Haslingden Girls and Ladies FC are no exception. We at their local Tesco can’t wait to see how they grow in future.”

Claire De Silva, head of community at Tesco, said: “We’re delighted that we can help charities such as Haslingden Girls and Ladies Football Club who really are at the heart of their community.

“Tesco Community Grants invites our customers to vote using their blue token for local schemes that they feel are important to help our communities thrive, and it’s good to see the impact that the funding makes.”