As a pioneer in Whiteway in Bath, Rachel Spence journeys alongside her community in a host of ways, this includes helping to set up her local community football team, Whiteway…
As a pioneer in Whiteway in Bath, Rachel Spence journeys alongside her community in a host of ways, this includes helping to set up her local community football team, Whiteway FC. Now Club Secretary as well as a keen supporter, Rachel says, “It is a special team, established by a local man who caused trouble in his community in the past and now wants to give back. He set up the football team to give the young men in his community all the benefits being part of a team offers and hopefully prevent them going down the path he went down.”
The team is made up of young men aged 18-24. Each is sponsored by a group from the local community, with businesses, community groups and St Barnabas’ Church all sponsoring one or more of the players. The sponsors get regular updates on how their player is doing; they are notified about things like the number of goals they’ve scored or whether they have been awarded ‘man of the match’.
Since it was formed, the team has gone from strength to strength. They started the 2022/23 season in division 3 of the Chippenham and Bath Sunday League. By the end of the season, they were the winners, coming top of the league and were promoted to division 1. And the winning streak doesn’t appear to be waning – so far, they have maintained their position at the top of the league.
Rachel says the initiative is all about the community coming together. That includes the churches in the area working alongside each other. In her role as Club Secretary, helping with the administrative side of the club, Rachel works closely with Deacon Annie Trembling from Bath Methodist Church, Annie is the chair of Whiteway FC.
Rachel adds, “I think it is really important to be out in the community supporting local people who are doing something they are passionate about. It is great to be part of a Whiteway initiative in such a positive way, to weave a bit of hope into the community and help change some of the negative perceptions of the Whiteway Estate by sharing the positive things that are happening in this community.”
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