Waveney Youth footballers ‘saddle up’ to help disabled kids

The Doury Road-based club saddled up for an initiative to raise funds for both the club and Kingdom Kids, a locally-based ministry supporting children with special needs.

Twelve players and two coaches from the Waveney Club cycled laps of the Ballymena Showgrounds stock car track as part of the sponsored fund-raising initiative.

“All the boys and the coaches managed 30 laps of the track, which is a quarter-of-a-mile circuit,” coach John Clarke told Times Sport.

“It was a training night for us but we wanted to do something a bit different from usual and something that would help someone else at the same time.

“Our boys are all aware that they are very fortunate to enjoy good health to be able to play football and that the children involved with Kingdom Kids would love to have the opportunities that our boys have, so they were delighted to get involved with this fund-raiser.

“We were absolutely blown away by the level of support we received - there was around £650 raised on the night and with some money still to come in, we’re hopeful that it might reach £700.

“Half of the amount raised will go towards club funds for the new season and the other half will go to Kingdom Kids,” added John, who thanked Ballymena Borough Council for the use of the track, all the boys and people who sponsored them and John Paul McClure, of JPM Plumbing and Heating Services, who sponsored ice cream for the participants.

Waveney Youth will now focus their efforts on the start of the new season, when they will again compete in the Belfast and East Antrim Youth League.