Pitstop Wanderers kicks-off for the homeless

The Surrey County FA has launched a new project in Leatherhead, the first of its kind in the county as Pitstop Wanderers, a football team for the homeless, kicked off last week.

Working in partnership with the Leatherhead homeless shelter The Pitstop, and with active support from the Michael Varah Memorial Fund, which has funded and helped set-up the initiative, the project aims to motivate homeless men to get actively involved in football and build their levels of fitness.

During their first session, the players were treated to a coaching session conducted by Dorking FC manager Pete Augustine, who is also an FA Level 3 UEFA B coach. They proudly sported their new training kit, which was purchased through the funding received from the Michael Varah Memorial Fund.

Sally Varah, Chair of The Michael Varah Memorial Fund, commented: “It is a perfect fit for the MVMF to be collaborating with Surrey County FA and The Pitstop in this way. Our charity works with adults and children who are ‘at risk’ for a number of reasons – crime, homelessness, poverty, disadvantage – with the aim of giving them a brighter future.

"Our specialism is collaborating with local service providers to innovate projects such as Pitstop Wanderers and so to ensure that our supporter’s money reaches the people who need it most. Ultimately, we aim to provide a hand up rather than a hand out to those for whom life has not been a level playing field.’

Steven Edwards from the Surrey County FA explained: “I am delighted with the progress the project has made to date. There has been a lot of hard work planning this programme and to finally see it come to fruition is very rewarding.

"The players showed great enthusiasm and you could see on their faces that they very much enjoyed the coaching session. Our aim is to develop a new 11-a-side team and to continue to provide weekly training for the team. We are also looking to place two players through an FA Level One coaching qualification, so they can manage the team in the future.”

Once the Pitstop Wanderers team is match-fit, a Charity Match against a team from the Michael Varah Memorial Fund is being scheduled, to raise additional funds to keep this outstanding project onside.