Centre Spot is celebrating after receiving a grant from Birmingham & Black Country Community Foundation to help deliver community focused sport activity to young children from deprived and disadvantaged circumstances for the next 12 months.

Centre Spot has received funding from Sport Relief one of the many funds administered by the Foundation which receives its income from local benefactors, businesses, and government agencies. The funding will be used to deliver football coaching sessions for young children aged 3 – 6 years old.

Leanne Day of Centre Spot said “Thank you to the Birmingham and Black Country Foundation. We are very pleased to have received this grant as it will benefit many young children especially those who would not usually have access to these opportunities”.

Yvonne Palmer, Director- Operations & Programmes of Birmingham & Black Country Community Foundation said: “We are delighted to be able to award this grant to Centre Spot, and to support them in the work they are doing in their community. The Foundation is all about supporting local people to find solutions to local problems, by distributing money to people who really do and will make a difference for the future”.

Centre Spot CIC a sports and physical activity provider in Sandwell organised a series of free taster sessions in Street Dance, Football, and Free Running as Part of their Gold, Silver and Bronze open event which formed part of a series of activities for the London 2012 Open Weekend supported by BP.

The events were part of a series of sporting and cultural events which took place across the UK with hundreds of thousands of people participating in events to celebrate the ‘One Year to Go’ countdown to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Over the weekend, 62 children had the opportunity to try different sports, with the most popular activity being Free Running.

“I really enjoyed the Free running, and I am looking forward to do it again” – Callum May, 13

“We enjoyed the activities a s much as the children and are looking forward to start weekly sessions in Non Traditional Sports” – Jonathan Hunter Centre Sport Coach.

Over the winter months Centre Spot, a social enterprise charity in Sandwell, West Midlands, invited young people aged from 6 to 16years to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to design a pair of football boots that will go on general sale, as well as benefit young people in Africa.

With 391 qualifying entries received from all over the country, the winning design came from Marple Hall School in Stockport.

Olivia Wilsons stunning design was unanimously chosen by are panel of 10 judges. Olivia received her first prize of a cheque for £250, and a signed Manchester city shirt. She will also receive £150 worth of Football Equipment for her school ana a Shoot 4 Boots t shirt. The winning design will be manufactured for general sale. The proceeds from the sale of these boots will support the reconditioning of old football boots for young people in Africa.

The reconditioning of old football boots is a key part of the Shoot for Boots for Africa project that is lasting throughout 2011. Centre Spot is organising a collection of unwanted football boots, to be sent to Africa in October 2011, as well as looking for fundraising opportunities for the project.

A team of up to fifteen volunteers will distribute the equipment in Africa as part of a series of coaching programmes. These events will be especially focused in areas where people have not had the opportunity to discover the joys of playing football.

“The competition and other fund raising activities will be benefit footballers from disadvantage circumstances both in the UK and in Africa. We are grateful to everyone who took part in the competition”.