Scoring Big for the Community Sports Foundation
Kicking off our summer of sports events in partnership with the Community Sports Foundation we hosted our first charity football tournament at the beginning of July.
120 players in 15 teams from local businesses volunteered their time and energy to join us for the afternoon at The Nest. We also had some great team players who were happy to substitute numbers for teams with gaps. Thanks to everyone who came to cheer on the teams.
Players from every team worked hard to compete for the winning spot.
Teams were able to enjoy fresh hand-made pizza from The Slice Pizza Company a South Norfolk Pizza catering company. Pizza Pete provided 145 pizzas in four different styles across the afternoon.
Competition was fierce, with 12-minute matches spread across the impressive 3G pitch, and three groups quickly whittled down to just eight teams remaining for the knockout stages.
The triumphant team of the tournament were the brilliant Elite Electrical and our runners-up after a fierce final was Elizabeths Gardens.
Our winning team Elite Electrical with their trophy. Photo credit Community Sports Foundation
Mark Baker, our Managing Director was thrilled with the attendance, “We can’t thank everyone enough for joining us. It’s been a great atmosphere and all the players have given it their all! We’ve managed to raise a great amount for the charity, a cause close to our hearts here at CIM and we can’t wait to invite everyone back in the future.”
We were able to raise over £3,350 for the Community Sports Foundation through entrance fees and a raffle to win a signed match-worn McCallum shirt and a Foundation shirt signed by the Men’s Norwich team.
Partnering With the Community Sports Foundation
We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Community Sports Foundation, supporting them through signage and fundraising in previous years. In December 2023 we took the leap to become an official partner of the charity, supporting them through events, fundraising, and continued signage support.
The Community Sports Foundation provided a team for the tournament, which sadly lost out in the quarterfinals as well as referees and volunteers across the field to help co-ordinate the day and help it run smoothly.
Martha Casey, Relationships Manager at the Community Sports Foundation commented “I’ve worked with CIM for several years in various roles and it felt like a natural continuation of that relationship when I joined the Foundation. Mark and the team are always happy to rise to every occasion we have, from flag poles to giant raffle boards, nothing is too much trouble for them and we’re proud that they’ve chosen to partner with us.”
Relationship Officer, Lindsay (left) and Relationship Manager, Martha (right) with the raffle board for the signed shirts. Photo credit Community Sports Foundation.
Thank you to all of the brilliant businesses who joined us:
Plus our subs Tom from The Big C and Dan from Naked Marketing
When asked ‘what inspired you to raise money for the Norwich City Community Sports Foundation?’ Mark Baker added “I had known of the foundation for many years and knew they worked with people of all abilities and ages, but in more recent times I had witnessed some free events in the community for kids who may not be able to commit to a regular football team or perhaps couldn't afford to play. They pulled together loads of children, had fun with them, talked to them, got them involved in games and all left with really happy faces. I spoke to two coaches, Oscar and Rupert and they didn't know me at all, they explained all that they do and I was really humbled. I then learnt about their young people’s pathways into work via sporting coach programmes, work they do with disability groups, the walking and older persons football, and links with teams around the world to stay at their facilities. Plus their pitches which are top-notch quality.”
Sign Up Your Support
Looking for a way to support our Community Sports Foundation fundraising? We have another event taking place on the 18th of July at Dunston Hall. You can find out more about it via our Facebook page or get in touch with the team to find out more.