Gills make it count

Gillingham FC received a £60,000 grant from the Football League Trust which will be put towards increasing awareness and playing opportunities for players with a disability, under the banner of the 'Every Player Counts' project.

'Every Player Counts' is a leading Football League Trust project that will aim to grow disability football provision throughout England and Wales and Gillingham's grant will help fund two part-time Football Development Officers to run a number of disability football initiatives in Medway and across Kent. These will include coaching programmes in local scholls and identifying talented players as part of the London 2010 'Playground to Podium' programme.

Two Gillingham coaches, Matt Wood and Joe Hopkins (pictured, top right), were presented with the £60,000 cheque by Colin Smith from the New Football Pools at Gillingham's recent home game with Wycombe Wanderers.

Stephanie Gadd, Disability Officer at the Kent FA said: "I am delighted Gillingham were successful in their Football League Trust bid. The club worked in partnership with the Kent FA to put together a very comprehensive development plan about how we can expand their existing disability football programme and I am looking forward to seeing these plans through to fruition.

"The work the club intend to do will only strengthen our existing initiatives such as the Kent Disability League and the Kent Disability Centre of Excellence."

For more information about disability football please click here