Get Involved: Football and wellbeing from Exeter City Community Trust

Exeter City Community Trust is making a name for itself as it delivers a huge range of health and wellbeing programmes and initiatives across the Greater Exeter area.

Summer Clubs

Over Easter we tried out the holiday club at Exwick Sports Centre, my kids enjoyed it so much we went back for more this summer. They run sessions in lots of other venues across the county, from Barnstaple in north Devon down to Teignmouth in the south. The sessions are great value, from just £14 a day, meaning you can drop your children off safe into the care of their qualified staff and sports coaches and know they will have an amazing time – plus they come home exhausted after a great day running around.

My son tried multi-sport and football and my daughter has been really enjoying the girls’ only sessions (you might have seen my Wildcats post on Instagram a few weeks ago). There really is something to suit everyone. They even offer a voucher which you can buy in advance which allows you to drop in without booking ahead and saves quite a few quid!

About Exeter City Community Trust

The organisation, which is Exeter City Football Club’s partner charity, began life nearly 25 years ago offering football courses. Today it delivers a multitude of initiatives related to health, wellbeing and education across the city, with a truly inclusive programme of activity for all ages. Last year more than 45,000 people across Exeter engaged in at least one of its projects.

Girl’s football

If you’ve got a daughter who’s interested in football (especially in the wake of the Women’s World Cup coverage this year), have a look at what ECCT offer, from tots’ sessions, through to the Girls’ Development Centre for nine to 16-year-olds, right up to Exeter City Women’s teams. My daughter has loved the training she has done so far.

Making football accessible for everyone

They also run free sessions funded by the Premier League for children and teenagers in Wonford, St Thomas and Exwick. Tailored sessions for young deaf people, children with Down’s Syndrome. The Community Trust also run power chair football sessions enabling wheelchair users to participate in sport.

NCS – National Citizenship Service

For the last five years, the organisation has delivered the brilliant NCS scheme in Exeter (I’m a big fan of the initiative). In 2018 the NCS engaged more than 600 15-17-year-olds, who completed over 40 social action projects. For the older generation, there’s the Man V Fat weight loss small sided football leagues, Sporting Memories sessions which I learnt about during my time at Age UK Exeter. They also recently established a support group for former members of the armed forces.

Running

You might have taken part in one of their running events, over the last year more than 2,300 people joined in their mass participation running events, which include the Exeter Marathon and the popular Santa Run.

For more information.

*Disclaimer: Some of our sessions were free this summer in exchange for some coverage but I always sing their praises anyway. Exeter CCT is a great organisation that we as a city should get behind!