THE work of a football club’s foundation was the focus of the most recent Oswestry Borderland Rotary Club meeting.
The Rotary Club was told all about the scope of the TNS Foundation from Gill Jones, who oversees the work as part of her role with The New Saints, champions of Wales.
Gill joined Borderland Rotary last week to explain the aims and activities of the organisation and the scope of the foundation was far more varied than the rotarians had previously assumed.
Gill, who has been with the foundation since its inception about 10 years ago, explained that it works across the board and not just in football.
She said: “Football and sport in general are, of course, a very important part of our activities but they are by no means all we do.
OTHER NEWS:
- Landlord Dave explains why he's closing beloved village pub after 24 years
- Inquest into the death of Oswestry man who died on the A5 is opened
- Going private is only way to sustain business, says Oswestry dentist
“We work with outside organisations such as Oswestry Town Council, Shropshire Council and eight local schools to deliver a wide range of services and, as the name implies, we aspire to build the community from the foundations up.
“To quote some figures, we provided 4,280 holiday activities across Oswestry and the surrounding area, worked with 1,500 children, helping them to have fun and feel inspired, and provided 4,000 meals to those who need them most.
“Of course, there’s more but suffice it to say we provide a safe place to go and opportunities for people who would otherwise struggle to get support elsewhere.”
Peter Sloane, a rotarian, professor of Economics and retired vice-chancellor of Swansea University with a special interest in sport funding, was surprised to hear the answer to his question about turnover as, for this apparently small organisation, it was in excess of a quarter of a million pounds last year.
He admitted he was taken aback but praised the work carried out by the foundation.
He added: “This must make it the largest and most wide-ranging service in the Welsh League and we’re just very lucky that it’s based in Oswestry.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here