THE history of The New Saints Football Club is well known to the people of Oswestry having, as it does, the unique position of an English football club playing in the Welsh leagues. It has battled to stay afloat over the years and now enjoys the support of its fans from Oswestry and the surrounding areas.
But how many of the fans know of the work of the TNS Community Foundation? Recently the Manager of the TNS Foundation Gill Jones was the speaker at a meeting of The Rotary Club of Oswestry where she told them more.
“The TNS Foundation is a charitable organisation that aims to engage with the local community to provide positive, sustainable and above all inclusive football, sports and educational activities for young people, the not so young and people with additional needs.” Gill said.
“Its involvement extends across many areas including education, health, social inclusion and equality, underlining our commitment to have a positive impact and make a difference to the lives of people within Oswestry and the surrounding area, including over the border into Wales.” she continued.
Some of their more visible projects are the holiday clubs that they run for school children and the Youth Cafes in Gobowen and Weston Rhyn. Older members of the community are catered for by the Senior Saints Activities at The Venue at Park Hall for anyone over 60 who wants to be more active
The Foundation is a not for profit organisation and has been part-funded by TNS FC over the last 5 years since it started in 2014. With help from grants (including from the Football Association of Wales and local authorities including Oswestry Town Council, Shropshire Council and St Martin’s Parish Council) together with lottery funding this resulted in a turnover of £87,000 last year.
“Any profit is ploughed back into the Foundation for further community activities.” said Gill. “We are reliant on external funding to deliver our projects but our aim is to become self-funding in the future as we support our community.”
If anyone would like get involved in one of their programmes or has an idea for a new project please contact our Gill by email gill.jones@tnsfcfoundation.org.uk
Pictured: (l-r) Oswestry Rotary Club President Ian Glenister with Gill Jones Manager of the TNS Foundation
