Hutton pick up top award

HUTTON Football Club is celebrating a prestigious award from the Football Association in recognition of its superb grassroots community work.

The club, which has 34 teams and 470 members aged five to 40, has been named Essex FA Charter Standard Community Club of the Year 2008/09.

The award is the highest accolade for grassroots football development given by the FA and means Hutton FC is Essex's top community club.

To be made a Charter Standard Community Club, organisations must meet a variety of criteria set out by the Football Association.

They include: fully-trained coaches, Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks for all volunteers, offering football to boys, girls and adults, a specially trained child welfare officer, a school liaisons officer and a volunteer coordinator.

Hutton FC secretary, Kevin Lorkins, said: "We are delighted to receive this recognition.

"It is an outstanding achievement and great testimony to the dozens of volunteers who over the years have given so much to the club.

"We pride ourselves in reaching out to all sections of our community. Everyone loves to win matches but our club's vision is to promote all aspects of the game and to make sure everyone has fun. That policy has been recognised with this award."

The club, formed in 1928, was last year awarded Community Club of the Year by Brentwood Borough Council.

Sir Trevor Brooking, director of football development at the FA said: "?The FA Charter Standard Programme provides a recognition that clubs are well run, sustainable, with child protection and safety paramount."

A full-sized artificial floodlit pitch and new changing rooms and shower facilities in a pavilion to be completed at Shenfield High School early next year will provide the club with state-of-the-art facilities.

The club will hold Soccability sessions for eight to 16-year-olds each Saturday from 11am to noon at St Martins School, from September 26.

For more information about joining Hutton FC as a player or volunteer contact Chris Singh on 01277 227527 or visit www.huttonfc.com.