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02
Apr
Pannal Ash girls raise almost £15,000 for Barcelona tour
A girls’ football team in Harrogate have raised almost £15,000 to compete in a tournament in Barcelona this summer.
Pannal Ash girls under-11s are one of the most remarkable teams in the district. Playing together since they were five, the squad has gone from strength to strength and is now one of the best in the area.
Half of the squad, which consists of around 20 girls, competes in the age group above, and is currently unbeaten at the top of the league. The team has also been entered into boys’ leagues for additional development.
The girls are in their final year before splitting off to various secondary schools.
As a result, head coach Mat Wills decided he wanted to give the girls a final unforgettable footballing experience by entering them into the Barcelona Girls Cup.
The cup is an international youth tournament hosted in the Salou and Cambrils area of Catalonia in June. Around 80 teams from 10 different countries participate each year.
A trip to Barcelona is not cheap, though, and the club has players from a diverse range of backgrounds and financial situations. Therefore, Mat decided to set up a fundraiser to gather enough money to pay for all of the girls’ expenses.
The club organised raffles and cake sales in efforts to bring funding in from all areas of the community.
An online fundraiser has raised £10,000 from 36 different donators, while 19 corporate sponsorships have increased the amount raised to £13,800.
The club now has enough to fund a trip for all 20 girls, with additional funds available for improved equipment and training.
Mr Wills told the Stray Ferret:
It means a lot to the girls. They’ve all worked really hard, and they deserve this opportunity.
They’ve been together for three or four years now and they’ve made really good friendships. But they’re going to high school next year where friendships and hobbies can change. So, we wanted to give them this final experience together as a group.
It also gives them the opportunity to experience a different culture.
I’d like to thank the parents, our sponsors and everyone who’s donated. Because of them, all of the girls have been given to opportunity to go if they want to.
It also shows what girls can do in a male dominated sport. We really wanted to give them this experience and I’m glad we now can.
Twenty-three confirmed spectators – parents, siblings, etc. – will cheer the team on in Barcelona in the summer. They are all self-funded.
The tournament will take place from June 7-8. To donate to the club, click here.
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