A football club that has been providing coaching and competition for players aged 14+ with physical, emotional, educational and behavioural disabilities for the last 17 years is now appealing for help to buy new equipment.
Thanet Galaxy Pan Disability FC has launched its Target 10K appeal to raise funds for portable floodlights, goals, kits and other equipment.
Founder Steve Lancaster set the club up with his brother in 2008 with the aim of bringing together people with a variety of disabilities, from sight loss to cerebral palsy, ADHD and hearing loss, so they could enjoy playing and competing in sport.
First playing at Chatham and Clarendon Grammar, then Ramsgate Leisure Centre, the club then move to newly created The Hive -the UK’s first national bespoke social, training, recreation and learning centre for young people and adults with special needs and/or disabilities based on grounds at Foreland Fields School.
Steve said: “They invited us to use it as our home base a year ago and it has been really good.
“The club trains every Thursday night with around 24 players with all sorts of disabilities.
“The reason for the fundraiser is, we have always been pretty hand to mouth and get by on subs covering our needs. But when we moved, we needed to get floodlights. We got some last year which took us through the winter but we need to pay for those and we need another set as coverage is restricted and last year we still had dark places on the pitch.
“We want to increase the area where we can play and encourage more people to come and join us. We are aiming at around 50 players by Christmas.
“We provide organised football to a group of guys and girls who have never played before. I am very lucky to have a dedicated group of coaches who have been with me for a long time.”
Steve, who has also been involved in Thanet Works League football for 50 years, added: “I know the enjoyment it gives me to see the guys take part in organised football when they would not get to do that anywhere else.”
The team, which is Kent FA affiliated, doesn’t have a main sponsor and previous expenditure has been supported by kind individuals and businesses but the expense of the floodlights, at around £2,500 each set, has meant the team launching its first ever fundraiser.
Sam and Gary Williams who coach the Premier squad said: “We need a second set of portable floodlights to enable us to light up even more of The Hive, more portable goals, playing equipment and all weather kit for the players. A long shopping list!”
League section coach Lennie Lee, who is still Dover FC’s all-time scoring record holder, added: “Our players are extremely enthusiastic and we provide them with the chance to enjoy football in a team, as we all were lucky enough to do as players.”
Local footballing legend George Evans, current Jamaican Seniors International, is also a Thanet Galaxy coach.
He said: “Football has been a huge part of all of our lives. We are a small, dedicated group who want to provide the best experience we can to our playing members for their health and wellbeing….. but it all takes money.”
For more information about the clubs contact [email protected]
