Thorplands United Football Club awarded the Queens Award For Voluntary Service 2008
Her Majesty The Queen has been graciously pleased to confer Her Award upon the following group in recognition of their outstanding voluntary work in the community:
"Voluntary Group, East Midlands: Thorplands United Football Club for providing football for all and other youth activities in the interests of social welfare and community cohesion."
Groups have to be independently nominated for The Queen's Award, by two reputable referees, who are not involved in the running of the group. The award celebrates the anniversary of Her Majesty The Queen's Coronation. An initial local assessment of groups is made by the Lord-Lieutenant, or Deputy Lieutenant, of the County.
Lord Lieutenant's assessments are viewed by The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service Panel, who judge the application on set criteria, before sending a maxim of 25 local applications forward for short-listing.
Award winners have to satisfy the undernoted criteria:
Meet a particular need
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Provide community-focused voluntary activities of a very high quality
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Have generated a high level of goodwill and respect among those they service and the community as a whole
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Have evolved locally and are locally run
Have a proven track record of active involvement in the community, normally over a period of over three years or more
The Local Selection Panel receives the nominations, this panel is made up of qualified people from local services, health, education, social services, youth work, local business, chaired by a Director in the Regional Government Office. This assessment produces short-listed nominations, which are then sent to The Queen's Jubilee Award Committee. This is chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office, and the Terms of Reference require that the Committee compares the relative merits of the nominated groups across the UK, bearing in mind "that there is reasonable balance across the United Kingdom , Channel Islands and the Isle of Man as a whole, in terms of the quality and consistency of nominations , the types of groups rewarded and the location".
The final selection is chosen for recommendation to The Queen.
Thorplands United Football Club were awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2008, by Her Majesty The Queen, following the rigourous selection procedure.
The Club Chairman Gary Palmer expressed his delight at being nominated and on receiving this prestigious award. Gary wishes to place on record his appreciation and thanks, to all volunteers, players and committee members. "This has been a very successful year for the club, we won the 2008 Northampton Town Football Cup and 2008 Northampton and District Youth Alliance Under 12's League. . Running the club is really a team effort and everyone who has helped the club, and worked hard for us, shares the great honour we have received in being awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service 2008. Thorplands United F.C. are representing Northamptonshire as winners of the County Futsal Championship at the regional finals in Northampton, this weekend.
We held our own Trophy Presentation Evening at Lings Forum on Friday 23rd May 08, which was a great success. To then win the Queen's Award For Voluntary Service 2008, is really a wonderful tribute to all our efforts.
Club Secretary Pete Brewin and Club Fundraising Officer Jim O'Rourke are pleased to accept an invitation, with spouses, to attend The Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in July 08, in recognition of receiving this award, on behalf of the club and all the volunteers.
Club Secretary Pete Brewin is delighted with the award, which he feels is a great honour and a well deserved recognition for all the hard work which has gone into building the club up from scratch to great success, in just over three years.
Jim O'Rourke, Club Fundraiser, said: " This is a fantastic achievement for Thorplands United Football Club and everyone involved with the club. We are one of only four groups in the East Midlands to win the Queen's Award 2008. Also, this year, we are one of only two volunteer-led amateur football clubs in the entire United Kingdom , to be honoured by The Queen. It gives us great pleasure to receive this award, which was made by being independently nominated and independently assessed. This award recognises the difficulties and the triumphs of the club's history, and celebrates the magnificent achievements of everyone who has made a voluntary contribution to our club. It is fantastic that others outside of our community have recognised the value of our voluntary work, and that they decided to nominate us for this marvelous award.
To achieve The Queen's Award is probably a once in a lifetime achievement"
It was very difficult for us local residents to start up an amateur football club in Thorplands, because we had no money, and at that time, we did not even have access to our local football pitches at Round Spinney. Those pitches are our only available green area and they had been closed and bunded by the council because of misuse by outsiders, environmental damage and unlawful parking. Gaining access to the pitches took time and negotiating skills. We have since established Round Spinney as our home ground, and it is within easy walking distance of Thorplands, safely linked by a footbridge across Talavera Way. We still have no changing rooms or toilets at our pitches at Round Spinney. Pitches belong to the Borough Council and have to be pre booked and paid for. We need toilets and changing rooms so we have to hire club facilities elsewhere in town, especially when we are hosting a match with an "away team", that may have travelled from quite far away.
This comes at an increased cost and greater logistical effort. Additionally we do not have storage facilities for a substantial amount of kit and equipment.
The chief focus of our future effort is therefore to raise the funding to build a Sports and Comunity Centre at Round Spinney. Discussions are ongoing.
We are running the club to an excellent accredited standard and have made football, and all our youth activities, enjoyable and valuable for all the community.
We welcome your support. To offer funding or assistance, please contact the club fundraising officer Jim O'Rourke Tel: 07756 482052 or email: j.orourke@btconnect.com. "
Boys and girls, men and women, are needed as players for next season. For youth football, contact Paul Foster, Youth Secretary, Tel: 07985 197399, for adult football contact Club Secretary, Pete Brewin, Tel: 07961 086261 .