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MSP Capital signs for AFC Bournemouth’s football boot recycling scheme Property finance lender MSP Capital has joined the team behind a campaign to enable more disadvantaged football players in the community to take part in the sport. The principal partner and front-of-shirt sponsor of AFC Bournemouth is collaborating with the club and, for the first time, insurance company Vitality to launch Bring Your Boots. The aim is to encourage members of the public to donate pre-loved boots or trainers to families throughout Bournemouth who would struggle to pay for new ones. It comes after research revealed that nearly one in five families financially impacted by the pandemic said they would struggle to send their children to grassroot clubs because of the cost of replacing outgrown boots and other items of kit. Martin Higgins, Managing Director of MSP Capital, said: “We’ve always seen our partnership with AFC Bournemouth as a way to not only support our local team but the local community as well. “Bring Your Boots is all about helping to provide vital opportunities for those children who are passionate about playing football but whose families can struggle to pay for kit. “Now is the time to dust down those trusty boots that served you so well in the past and give them a new lease of life for someone else to enjoy.” The donations will directly help those who are unable to afford new trainers or boots in the local community through the club’s Community Sports Trust, which operates various projects designed to help both adults and children take part in physical activities. Members of the public can donate at two drop off points: the AFC Bournemouth Superstore at Vitality Stadium during normal store opening times; and in the Junior Fanzone on first team home match days. Vitality’s office in Bournemouth will more news online - www.dorsetchamber.co.uk/news
also have a collection point to support the scheme and encourage donations. James Hill, who signed for AFC Bournemouth on a permanent basis from Fleetwood Town in January 2022, is the campaign’s player ambassador and represents the first team squad in supporting the project. Nick Read, Managing Director of the Vitality programme, said: “Supporting and enabling people to be active is at the very centre of what we do. We are delighted to be part of this campaign to enable more people to take up or continue playing football. We know that keeping active can make a huge difference to our long-term health. We encourage everyone to get behind this wonderful initiative and start donating.” Steve Cuss, Head of Community at AFC Bournemouth, was also excited to be involved: “Physical activity has so many benefits and, through our community projects, we look to involve as many people from within community as possible. The boot recycling scheme removes a barrier for everyone to get active, as having the correct equipment is vital. We are very grateful to both MSP Capital and Vitality for their support with this initiative.” Steve added that all footwear donated should be in a useable condition and have any additional accessories such as laces or studs still attached to the shoe. According to a Utilita State of Play Report released in October 2020, of the 74% of families who admitted to being financially impacted by the pandemic almost a fifth (18%) said they would struggle to pay for upgraded playing kit for children returning to grassroots football.
Research conducted by the Learning and Work Institute has estimated that in England by 2030 there could be 5.1 million low-skilled people chasing 2 million low-skilled jobs; 12.7 million people with intermediate skills chasing 9.5 million jobs; and 17.4 million high-skilled jobs with only 14.8 million high-skilled workers. That’s a potential deficit of higher-level skills in 2030 amounting to around 2.5 million people*. In-work skills-development is changing – with learners looking for quick ways to close the gap between what they currently have to offer and what employers want and need – and there is a growing demand for university/ higher level course units that help working adults upskill or reskill and importantly support their continued professional development. So how do we work with our local workforce to reskill or upskill to ensure they are building and developing the higher-level skills which will be needed in businesses throughout Dorset in 2022 and beyond? Micro-credentials could have an important part to play. Micro-credentials are designed to upskill the workforce without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Learners can access up to 3 modules of a degree-level course(s) and be credited through work submitted and attendance. Micro-credentials recognise the learning outcomes of a short course or module and offer a very flexible yet highly targeted pathway to develop knowledge and skills for professional (CPD) and personal development - directly supporting reskilling and upskilling within the workplace. At Weymouth College we offer a range of higher education courses – which potentially offer an in-work learner the opportunity to put in place a variety of micro-credentials. Our Foundation Degree Health and Social Care – delivered in Partnership with the University of Plymouth – for example, has modules in areas including safeguarding, organisational management, leadership/management and mental health and wellbeing which could all facilitate higher-level skills development. If you are an employer looking to offer your employees, the opportunity to develop their workplace skills - talk to us today and find out more about how we can work together to build a skills-led future for the Dorset workforce. Roz_Osborne@weymouth.ac.uk 01305 764733 www.weymouth.ac.uk *Local Skills Deficits and Spare Capacity, Learning and Work Institute, December 2019.
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