Herefordshire FA is delighted to announce an official partnership with community sport organisation GiveToLocal.

GiveToLocal aims to support grassroots football clubs by helping them secure regular income from people and local businesses across their community.

The partnership comes at a welcome time for clubs across the county of Herefordshire, as they look to navigate the uncertainty and challenges brought about by COVID-19.

The agreement between the two organisations also means that Herefordshire has become the tenth county football association to formally partner with GiveToLocal.

Grassroots football clubs and local businesses play a key part in every community. Working alongside Herefordshire FA, GiveToLocal will assist our efforts to support clubs through these challenging times.

By helping to connect clubs and businesses through their innovative service, GiveToLocal has the potential to help both build towards a brighter future.

And clubs in Herefordshire have now joined thousands from across the country who have registered to become a part of GiveToLocal’s growing community.

Herefordshire FA Football Development Officer, Dan Chance, said: “Grassroots clubs are at the centre of their communities and rely on the generosity and goodwill of these communities to survive.

“Sport is an extremely powerful tool in terms of bringing communities together.

“Therefore it is essential that we do all that we can to ensure that grassroots clubs survive, so they can get back to the excellent work that they do.

“At the Herefordshire FA we have introduced a range of measures to assist this process and we are delighted to be partnering with GiveToLocal to provide clubs with another useful service to help this.”

Since its inception, GiveToLocal has received backing from a number of high profile Premier League and Championship footballers.

Legendary England striker Les Ferdinand, Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum, Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend and AFC Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson have all thrown their support behind GiveToLocal.

Through a user friendly application, donors and sponsors have the ability to support their local football club, allowing them to secure regular, sustained income.

By donating as little as £3 per month, individual donors receive incentives for their support from local businesses which are, in turn, supporting their local club. A mutually beneficial relationship helps to create a sense of shared action.

Dan added: “In our conversations with GiveToLocal, it is clear that they get grassroots football.

“They are up front about costs and are committed to delivering a range of services to help clubs across the county. Their support goes beyond the platform that they provide to help with fundraising.

“At the Herefordshire FA, we have committed to ensuring that we keep in touch with clubs and participants through our social media and communication channels.

“With the free time that volunteers ordinarily do not have, now seems like the ideal time for clubs to sign up to GiveToLocal.”

GiveToLocal’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Colin Stromsoy, is excited by the potential of the new partnership.

Colin said: “The whole team here at GiveToLocal is delighted that we’re entering into a partnership with Herefordshire.

“They are a really forward thinking and proactive county FA and I can’t wait to start working alongside Alan, Dan and the rest of the Herefordshire team.

“Currently, grassroots football clubs right across the UK are facing real difficulties. Playing a positive role in support of these clubs is very important to us and we look forward to working with everyone at the Herefordshire FA to ensure we can have the biggest impact possible.”

To find out more about GiveToLocal visit www.givetolocal.com

To register an interest in GiveToLocal, please click here: https://www.givetolocal.com/herefordshire-fa