January Newsletter

A Warm Welcome and Exciting Updates from the England Walking Football Committee

Happy New Year! On behalf of the committee and leadership team, we would like to extend our warmest wishes for a happy and healthy 2025. We are delighted to welcome you to the first of our regular newsletters, where we aim to keep you informed about the amazing progress happening behind the scenes at England Walking Football.

At the heart of everything we do is our vision: to be a beacon of excellence for Walking Football, setting the standard for inclusivity, professionalism, and community spirit.

Since our rebranding, we’ve been working tirelessly to enhance your experience as members, and we are thrilled to share some exciting updates:

Training Sessions

We’ve secured Castle Vale Stadium for our training sessions in February and March. Detailed schedules can be found on our website and through the Stack Team App. Additionally, we are actively working towards securing St. George’s Park or another suitable venue as our new permanent training home. Updates on this development will follow soon.

New Bank Account

To ensure smoother operations, we’ve opened a new account with Metro Bank. Our treasurer, Alex Marsden, continues to do an outstanding job managing our finances, and account details will be shared with members shortly.

We are also planning to reinitiate the monthly membership fee to help cover costs. This will enable Alex to budget effectively moving forward and allow us to create a comprehensive list of members who wish to continue. More details will follow in the coming weeks. 

Thank you for your support in making this possible!

FA Accreditation

We are proud to announce that the club is now listed on the FA website. Efforts are underway to achieve full FA accreditation, a milestone that reflects our commitment to professional standards and growth.

Player Insurance

Your safety is our priority. All players are now insured through Sportsguard, ensuring robust coverage and peace of mind.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Work continues behind the scenes to secure new sponsors. These partnerships will be crucial in supporting the growth and success of our club. If you know of potential sponsors, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Personalised England Caps

We’ve secured a supplier for England caps, and we’re thrilled to announce that all caps will now be personalised with your name - a wonderful keepsake to celebrate your participation.

Expanding Social Media Presence

Our social media channels are growing rapidly! We’ve launched a new website, along with Facebook, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter) accounts. We’re aiming for blue-tick verification on X to enhance our professional image. Please follow and share these platforms to help us reach a wider audience:

Kits and Training Wear

Exciting news on the kit front! We’re working with a local supplier to design new home and away kits, as well as training wear. We’ll share examples with you soon.

New Committee Members

To ensure our club is inclusive and well-represented, we’ve added Alex Marsden, Wendy Benson, and Gail Redston to the committee to address women’s needs. We are also delighted to have Julian Lamb, Brendan Maxwell, Dave Bendall, and Carl Clinton continuing to support the club with their expertise. Amanda Bell has also joined us as Welfare Officer. We encourage all members to complete the FREE safeguarding and welfare courses available on the FA website - these are vital to our club’s ethos.

Player Welfare in Open Age Football: Player Welfare in Open Age Football | England Football Learning

Safeguarding for All: Safeguarding For All | England Football Learning

Team Management

We are pleased to introduce our team management structure:

  • Steve Judd (50s), Martin Haines (60s), and Simon Atherfold (70s) will take charge of the men’s teams.
  • Wendy Benson and Gail Redston have stepped in to manage and support the women’s teams.

If anyone would like to volunteer or assist with team management, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to admin@englandwalkingfootball.co.uk.

Introducing St. George’s Walking Football Club

We’re excited to announce the launch of St. George’s Walking Football Club, a subsidiary of England Walking Football. More details are available on our website.

Transparency and Governance

Our constitution has been uploaded to the FA Portal, shared with Metro Bank, and is now available on our website. Transparency remains at the heart of everything we do.

Exploring Over 65’s and Over 75’s Teams

We’re excited to share that a number of other clubs have inquired about the possibility of us forming Over 65’s and Over 75’s teams. This is a fantastic opportunity to expand and provide even more inclusive options for our members.

We’re actively exploring this idea and will be consulting with our members to determine the best way to proceed. Your input will be invaluable in shaping these new teams, so please stay tuned for updates and share your thoughts when the consultation begins!

Rome Tournament

We’re thrilled to confirm our participation in the Rome tournament! Flights and accommodations are being arranged, and we can’t wait to represent England Walking Football on the international stage.

We Value Your Feedback

Your input is invaluable. Whether you have ideas, concerns, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at admin@englandwalkingfootball.co.uk.

Looking Ahead

Join us on 2nd February at Castle Vale Stadium for an exciting training session, and stay tuned for further updates as we continue to grow and improve our club.Thank you for your ongoing support. Together, we’re building a community that exemplifies excellence in Walking Football. Let’s make 2025 a fantastic year for England Walking Football!

Easy Fundraising

Did you know that whenever you buy anything online – from your weekly shop to your annual holiday – you could be raising free donations for England Walking Football with easyfundraising? There are over 8,000 retailers on board ready to make a donation – including eBay, Argos, John Lewis & Partners, ASOS, Booking.com and M&S – and it won’t cost you a penny extra to help us raise funds. 

All you need to do is: 

1. Go to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/england-walking-football/ and join for free. 

2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping. 

3. After you’ve checked out, the retailer will make a donation to England Walking Football at no extra cost to you whatsoever! 

There are no catches or hidden charges and England Walking Football will be really grateful for your donations. 

Thank you for your support.

Introducing the Member Forum on Our New Website

We’re thrilled to announce that our new website now features a member forum! This dedicated space allows members to:

  • Share news and updates
  • Discuss upcoming events
  • Connect with fellow players and supporters

We encourage all members to get involved and make the most of this new platform. It’s a great way to stay engaged, informed, and connected with the England Walking Football community.

Visit the forum today and join the conversation: https://www.englandwalkingfootball.com/forum

Warm regards,

The England Walking Football Committee