School's helping hand for young footballers

A youth football tournament in Liphook has been declared a big success by organisers – thanks to a little help from a local school.

 The annual six-a-side competition run by Liphook United Football Club was held over two days at the end of August and attracted more than 100 teams of boys and girls from across the region.

But organisers were initially left facing a logistical headache on the run up to the festival of football when they discovered their usual tournament venue was unavailable, before Highfield and Brookham School answered a plea for an alternative setting.

The independent day and boarding school on the borders of Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex, which has strong links with the community in and around Liphook, didn’t charge the football club for use of its 175-acre site, instead asking for a small percentage of the tournament takings to be donated to its Highreach Holidays charity which provides week-long summer breaks for children with disabilities.

As a result, the football club swelled the Highreach coffers to the tune of £516.

Jenni Weston, vice-chairman of Liphook United Football Club, for whom the annual youth tournament represents a real lifeline in terms of fundraising and the financial security of the club attracts clubs from Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex, said: 'We wanted to say a huge thank you to Highfield and Brookham School for allowing us to host the tournament on their stunning facilities. They really have the local community at heart and we were pleased to be able to raise £516.62 which has been donated to Highfield Highreach Holidays.'

Suzannah Cryer, Head of Highfield and Brookham School, said: 'We are proud to be a part of the thriving community of Liphook and we have a healthy relationship with the football club, so we were delighted to be able to help out when it came to providing a venue for the club’s annual youth football tournament.'

'As a school, we naturally have a strong affinity with children and children’s activities, so to know that the club’s wonderful youth tournament will keep the football club flourishing and give those children more sporting opportunities for years to come is very satisfying.'

October 2024