Football opportunities are coming home to boys and girls in East Cambridgeshire thanks to a partnership between King’s Ely and Norwich City FC.
We first joined forces with Norwich City FC’s Regional Development Programme (RDP) five years ago – not just to raise the profile of football in school, but in the local community too.
Each week, hundreds of King’s pupils and local schoolchildren reap the benefits of the sport through the RDP. And the good news is that this term, the partnership has been extended to allow these opportunities to continue – and grow – up until at least July 2024.
Alex Meddle, Director of Sport at King’s Ely Senior, said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Norwich City FC RDP. The partnership enables both our Junior and Senior pupils to receive high quality professional coaching and specialist CPD sessions throughout the year.
“After an inspiring year with the success of the Lionesses, it is imperative that we continue to develop the legacy of women’s football, and the introduction of the Girls’ Player Development Centre here at King’s is testament to that. This has culminated in extra-curricular girls’ football clubs, which are supported brilliantly by the RDP.
“I look forward to working closely with Norwich City FC RDP to provide more opportunities for all pupils at King’s and also to showcase our excellent facilities to the local community. It is a very exciting time indeed for the development of football in Ely.”
Some of the sessions which are delivered through the partnership include ‘Mini Kickers’, ‘Soccer Skills Centre’ and ‘Super Camps’, which even incorporates dance and performing arts!
Jack Rayner, Operations Manager for the Norwich City FC RDP, said: “We are delighted to have extended our partnership with King’s Ely, which we have further developed for the coming season.
“The partnership provides us with access to the school’s fantastic facilities to deliver our Super Camps with AMOR, Girls’ Player Development Centre, Skills Centre and Mini Kickers sessions.
“With our recent Super Camps facilitating a range of activities for 90 children during the October half-term, the partnership provides us with a fantastic platform to engage with the local community by delivering multi-sports, dance, fitness and gymnastics.
“The partnership will see our staff support delivery within the school too, including termly CPD for King’s Ely staff, as well as a range of coaching delivery for the students at King’s throughout the year.”
For more information about the RDP and football opportunities in Ely, visit: www.canaries.co.uk/rdp/