Nationwide Building Society has awarded £1,000 to Bromley FC Community Sports Trust after it impressed judges in a UK-wide competition built around mutual respect within the grassroots game.

Britain’s biggest building society have partnered with Football Associations across the UK in landmark three-year deals to help foster positivity and respect across grassroots football. The simple aim is to create a society that’s built on mutual respect.

In August Nationwide committed to donating £50,000 to their newly formed Mutual Respect Grants fund to help support grassroots football. Clubs and teams could apply for one of the 50 grants by explaining why respect is important to their club to be in the chance with being awarded £1,000. 

There were more than 300 applications from across the UK, with Bromley FC chosen as one of the lucky deserving winners.

At Bromley FC and the Community Sports Trust, we work hard to provide opportunities through sport, that improve the physical and mental wellbeing of our Community. We know that women and girls love football, but we also know that there are less opportunities for them to take part in football. That is why we, as a Trust, employ a full time Women and Girls’ Development Officer to provide opportunities for all females to play, coach or watch football. To reinforce this, the trust have recently launched their first Women and Girls’ Strategy, which details how we will build on our existing provision, promoting equal opportunities for all females to access football.

Women and Girls’ Development Officer, Andrea Ellis said: “This grant is hugely appreciated. It will allow us to continue the work we are doing in the community delivering sessions for girls who want to play football. It also means that after we will be able to grow our provisions for more girls, that will have been inspired by the Lionesses.”

Emily Barker, Brand Partnerships Manager at Nationwide Building Society, said: “Mutual respect is something that we value at the core of Nationwide in everything we do, so to be able to give these grants to the clubs, that need them the most and those that themselves have demonstrated respect on and off the pitch is really exciting. We are looking forward to seeing how grassroots clubs, like Bromley put the money to use and the difference it makes.”

#WeAreBromley