Huddersfield Community Trust

Sport is providing the key to a range of initiatives helping young people excel.

Huddersfield Community Trust is a registered charity responsible for all community sport and educational activities on behalf of Huddersfield Town, Huddersfield Giants and The Zone

The trust has the ability to engage people, improve community cohesion, improve fitness and wellbeing and raise the hopes and aspirations of people in Kirklees.

Community director Paul France said: “As a charity, we are committed to ensuring that we respond to local needs whilst working strategically in line with regional and national agendas. We all recognise that sport can play a prominent role in addressing major issues such as obesity, community cohesion, health, employment and attainment.

“Through the diverse range of programmes delivered by our Huddersfield Town Community Trust and Huddersfield Giants Community Trust teams, we aim to get people active, raise attainment in schools, work closely with our communities and create a new paid and volunteer workforce to increase future capacity.”

The Zone at St Andrew’s Road includes the largest indoor soft play structure in the north of England catering for children up to 12 years of age. Last year, more than 40,000 children visited the PlayZone with another 19,000-plus attending more than 1,500 children’s parties.

The SportsZone comprises two indoor synthetic sports pitches suitable for football ad touch rugby. Coaching sessions are held for groups of all ages while the SportsZone is also used by 52 local community groups for social events, team training and competitive games.

The DanceZone is used by cheerleading groups and for dance classes, gymnastics and tumble tots while The GymZone, part-funded by the local NHS, is used for programmes to tackle childhood obesity as well as a venue for people returning to fitness after heart problems.

Finally, the LearningZone provides educational courses for young people not in employment, education or training in areas such as literacy, numeracy and ICT as well as qualifications in sports.

Huddersfield Town Foundation

Huddersfield Town is proving a winner off the field as well as on – thanks to its charitable work.

The Huddersfield Town Foundation – the brainchild of club chairman Dean Hoyle – was launched in July last year to build on Town’s previous successful initiatives aimed at benefiting youngsters across the community.

Backed by local businesses and individuals, Dean had already taken almost 2,000 local children to Town’s two play-off final games at Manchester’s Old Trafford in July, 2011 and Wembley Stadium in May, 2012 to watch the team in action on the big stage.

The Huddersfield Town Foundation was formed with one overall aim – to help improve the quality of life for young people across Huddersfield and the local area.

In its first year, the foundation has focused on its Early Kick-Off Breakfast Club, which provides a complementary healthy breakfast to supplement the well-being of children, and the Huddersfield Town Foundation Reading Diaries, which help promote children’s literacy.

The idea for the breakfast clubs came from Dean after he met a youngster whose family could not afford a lot of food – as a result of which he was not fed before going to school.

The reading diaries scheme came from a conversation with schools after a National Trust literacy survey found that children were reading less than ever as their lives became crowded with other activities.

During the past 12 months, the Early Kick-Off Breakfast Club – with fruits, grains, dairy products and other protein-rich foods on the menu – has now served up more than 40,000 healthy breakfasts to school pupils across Kirklees. Eleven clubs are now up and running in areas including Lowerhouses, Rawthorpe, Lockwood, Dalton and Ravensthorpe.

The foundation plans to strengthen further its board of patrons and follow the progress of a mechanical engineering apprentice, who was placed with Heckmondwike-based 600 Group under a scheme run by the foundation.

Other plans include a Uniform Exchange scheme allowing parents to donate old school uniforms in good condition to those who would struggle to afford them.

One 17 Design Charitable Trust

A group of companies providing services to clients in construction, design and education is building a reputation for its community involvement.

One 17 Design, based at Armitage Bridge, has businesses covering chartered architecture and interior design, project management, structural design, graphic communication and design for education.

Over the years, One 17 Design has supported a number of charities through fundraising events, sponsorship and donations. In December, 2010, the group decided to take things one step further and set up the One 17 Design Charitable Trust with the aim of improving the lives of people in need and enhance educational opportunities for children, primarily in the local area.

Regular donations are made to the trust from constituent One 17 group companies – making up about 95% of the total – and from clients.

Traditionally, the first appointment with a new client seeking professional advice was free of charge. Now the group asks for a donation to the trust. Caroline Lee, head of community liaison for the group, said: “We have been delighted at the enthusiastic response we have had from potential clients to this initiative.”

In the past 12 months, the trust has given £30,000 to support a wide range of local charities and projects for young people. In addition, it has given in-kind business support to smaller charities and community groups and designed numerous posters, banners and flyers free of charge to help their marketing.

Many of the group’s 25-strong staff have completed challenges to raise funds for charities of their choice or have volunteered time to help and support local groups involved with the trust.

During the period, the group has had 16 pupils on work experience placements, run design workshops and competitions for local high schools and had two university students on placement.

Said Caroline: “From supporting the Kirklees Special Needs Swimming Squad to take part in the Special Olympics National Games in Bath this summer to presenting travel bursaries and design awards, we have helped to inspire and enthuse many young people through a number of different initiatives as well as providing help for people in need.”