A new season and a new strip for Prenton’s young football stars

Company news

Sep 16, 2014

Fresh from their success in the Wirral Challenge Cup and the undefeated winning of the Wallasey Junior League, the players at Glenavon Junior Football Club will be taking to the pitch this year in a new strip and with a new sponsor.

Care UK, one of the country’s leading independent sector providers of health and social care services, has sponsored the Prenton-based team’s shirts for the next two seasons after the team’s existing sponsorship came to an end.

Mike Docherty, Glenavon JFC manager, said: “Every day I had a member of the club asking me if the new shirts were here and I kept having to say no as we didn’t have a sponsor. We are a community team and we try and keep the costs to parents to a minimum, which makes sponsorship really important to us and our teams.

“We were delighted when Care UK decided to sponsor us. The players love the shirts. They feel very professional in them and building pride and a team spirit is as important as developing the skills and confidence football gives to young people.”

Phil Killen is Care UK commissioning manager for central England, where he helps to create tailor-made services for people in the North West with learning disabilities. He explained why Care UK has decided to sponsor the team: “Our services are always rooted within the communities they serve and our aim is to ensure that people who use those services live fulfilling lives that develop their ambitions and interests. It fills me with pride to be wearing Care UK on the kits and it will also enable us to raise awareness of the fantastic work that we do across the North West.

“Glenavon JFC shares the same ethos – helping people to enjoy their lives, develop their skills and find friendships across the community. My son plays for the team and I have seen first-hand how the club’s coaches and committee work so hard to develop grassroots football.”

Under-13s player Joel Killen said: “I am really proud to be wearing the Care UK sponsorship. What Care UK do is life changing for some people, so it has more meaning than your average sponsor.”

Phil was over the moon when Care UK’s chief executive Mike Parish agreed to the sponsorship. He said: “He is a great football fan himself – it’s just a shame he supports West Ham!”