Aldershot Town’s award-winning community work is already renowned throughout the region, but the new Shots Foundation is looking to work with every local charity, community organisation and school to take it to the next level.
With aims to raise aspirations, inspire all members of the community and promote active and healthy lifestyles through the power of football, The Foundation invites all interested parties from every sector of the community to get in touch as soon as possible.
Please email Janice Samuels, Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, via janice.samuels@shotsfoundation.org, or call Steve Gibbs on 01252 320211.
Recent community projects undertaken by The Shots include:
Aldershot Garrison: The EBB Stadium hosted a Peace and Goodwill carol concert, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One, and the Game of Truce, a match between the British Army and German Bundeswehr which celebrated the centenary of the legendary 1914 Christmas Truce.
Seats for Soldiers: The Club hold regular Seats For Soldiers events, which have seen thousands of match tickets donated to Aldershot Garrison personnel in conjunction with local and national sponsors.
Armed Forces Corporate Covenant: ATFC were one of the first Football Clubs to sign the Covenant – and led the 68 clubs of the National League in also signing it – to ensure that no member of the Armed Forces community should face disadvantage at work or in the community compared to other citizens, and in some circumstances may receive special consideration for those who have given most to their country, such as the injured or bereaved.
Big Sleep Out: Every summer the Club hosts the Big Sleep Out, organised by Aldershot homeless charity Step By Step, which sees 100 people sleeping rough on the terraces of the EBB Stadium. The event has so far raised over £75,000 for the charity and promoted awareness of an increasing problem within the Borough, as homeless numbers rise.
Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice: The Shots continue to hold a series of fundraising events for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice to help them provide supportive and end-of-life care to over 550,000 residents in Surrey and Hampshire. Events include Chappie’s Challenge, an annual 50-mile cycle ride from Wembley Stadium to the EBB Stadium, as well as a charity match starring former England goalkeeper David James.
British Heart Foundation: Aldershot Town helped St Joseph’s Primary School raise over £5400 for the British Heart Foundation and increase awareness of healthy lifestyle choices with an Activity Day and awards ceremony attended by first-team players. Fundraising included the donation of a percentage of ticket sales for parents and pupils attending a home game.
Nepalese Community: ATFC led local community initiatives to raise £30,000 to rebuild two schools in earthquake-hit areas of Nepal, helping over 500 children, many of whom are orphans, and providing a vital hub for devastated communities. The villages which have benefitted are directly linked to members of Rushmoor’s Nepalese community, through our partnerships with BCCUK and Sahara UK. The Club sent a team to Pokhara in February 2015 to compete in the annual Aaha RARA Gold Cup tournament, featuring the best players in Nepal, and visited schools and orphanages in remote areas of the country to donate over £1000 of sports equipment. Aldershot Town are also proud to have twice hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama at two sold-out events inside the EBB Stadium.
International Women’s Day: Aldershot Town held a girls football tournament and Girls Junior Takeover Day to celebrate IWD in March 2017, and then hosted female Year 10 students from across the region at a day of workshops to forge a more inclusive, gender-equal world.
Diabetes Awareness: Provision of free diabetes tests for all supporters in conjunction with Club sponsor GlucoRx, one of the leading suppliers of diabetes testing equipment to the NHS and a company who reinvest their profits back into the local community.
Community Stand: The Club’s Community Stand donates over 4500 free tickets every season to youth and community groups. Thanks to the generosity of like-minded companies, charities, community groups and individuals, the vision of creating ‘tomorrow’s supporters’ coincides with the introduction of free admission for Under 11s to every home league game.
GASP Motor Project: With the support of ATFC, four Step By Step clients enjoyed weekly car maintenance tuition to restore and adapt a Vauxhall Corsa to stock car race specifications in the initiative involving Surrey’s GASP Motor Project and the UK’s largest stock car racing promoters Spedeworth. Club Chairman Shahid Azeem then drove the car in a 20-car race at Aldershot Raceway!
