About Us

FA Nat. ID 238737, FA Org. ID 83672, FA Aff. 2024-25 AFF442400018, FA National League ID 17926, Companies House no. 13257288

Click here to contact us

Our themes of provision

Educating, instilling confidence and developing life skills using football
Achieving health and wellbeing through football
Affording equal opportunities and full inclusion in football

Why Football

Football is championed by the Trust as an excellent way to keep us all healthy in body and mind. It is an extremely good physical exercise; played regularly it can improve aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health, lower body fat and improves muscle tone, build muscle and bone strength, and increase coordination. Being great fun to play football itself motivates and improves engagement with all that positive exertion.

It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. It can also increase cognitive brain function. The mental health benefits don’t end there. It can help prevent illness and form part of a cure; having a profoundly positive impact on depression and anxiety. It can also provide positive relief and a place for equal expression for those that are neurodivergent, e.g. ADHD.

As a team sport football promotes individual development at the same time as teamwork and sharing through collaboration and cooperation. It is a social experience that allows you to meet new people and make new friends. It also strengthens the local community and fosters positive relationships between neighbours, friends and families. As a shared activity for families it can strengthen bonds and create a wealth of happy memories.

With so much to gain from football the Trust takes it’s role of providing activities in the most effective way very seriously. Providing our players and their family with the utmost positivity is at the core of everything we do.

Services, programmes and events

The Sporting Trust is a not-for-profit social enterprise that delivers and supports various football based services, programmes and events to children and adults in the local community. The Trust works in synergy with its partner organisation Sporting 87 Football Club to provide a ‘total football community service’. Together with Sporting 87 we are England Football Accredited; a partnership that has won the Suffolk FA award for best Community Charter Standard Organisation three times. Trust activities are categorised under four modes of provision: Academy, Community, Schools Support and Holiday Clubs. Click on the links below to find out more.

Details of upcoming sessions and events can be found in our online shop.

The FA and us

As an FA affiliated football club we abide by and champion the FA’s Grassroots Code; respecting the standards within it and making football better for everyone. These standards are:

Enjoy the game – we’re here to enjoy ourselves… win, lose or draw.
Give respect – we always treat others as we’d like to be treated.
Be inclusive – we embrace our differences… football is a game for everyone.
Work together – we’re a team, on and off the pitch.
Play safe – we all have a role in safeguarding children.

Leadership

CEO		SENCo & Academy Director

Darren Brown MA ODEd		Cameron Brown MEd Cantab MM
“Footy is fun game for everyone to play, and a great game for everyone to learn from.”		“Football can develop players and people.”
FA licensed Level 3 (YM3) / UEFA C football coach FA talent identification scout FA futsal coach FA psychology coach FA mentoring coach FA Welfare Officer Committee Member, Youth Chairman and Youth Football Director of Sporting 87 Football Club National FA ‘150’ award recipient National FA Football Futures award winner Former Suffolk FA WAYS League Vice Chairman Education, experience and background: Design, planning and delivery management of defence industry education, communications and marketing media. Primary school teaching support. Masters degree in Education CRB/DBS cert no. 001571520622.		FA licensed Level 3 (YM3) / UEFA C football coach FA futsal coach Founding committee member Suffolk FA WAYS League Youth team lead coach of Sporting 87 Football Club National FA Football Futures National Coach of the Year award winner Education, experience and background: Primary and Secondary School Teacher. MEd Cantab (Hughes Hall). MM (Film Scoring) Berklee. Homerton College PGCE. Music BA (Hons). Current study: schools NPQSL (Senior Leadership). CRB/DBS cert no. 001532575303.
Welfare & Schools Liaison		Sporting 87 FC Liaison

Nikki Brown		Jonathan Warnock
“Show them interest and encouragement, and watch them blossom.”		“Hard work gains high standards.”
FA licensed football coach FA Welfare Officer ST ladies futsal squad member ST walking futsal squad member CRB/DBS cert no. 001486441383.		FA licensed Level 3 (UEFA B) football coach, FA Coaches’ Association member FA Welfare Officer Suffolk FA Council Member – West Suffolk North Suffolk FA Coach Mentor – West Suffolk Committee Member, Secretary and Football Director of Sporting 87 Football Club First team manager of Sporting 87 Football Club Committee member and director of Victory Sports Ground Ltd Member of the Christians in Football (CIF) executive Education, experience and background: Management of Bury Football Academy at West Suffolk College CRB/DBS cert no. 001562824827.

Staff

All our staff have rigorous safeguarding and referencing checks to ensure they are able to work with children. Before placing anyone into a childcare position the following checks are performed: Identity. Qualification verification. Work and Personal References. Barred List. Criminal Records (DBS – FA enhanced). Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006. Right to work in the UK. Our minimum qualifications to coach are:

FA Safeguarding Children
FA First Aid
FA Player Welfare in Open Age Football
FA Respect
FA Playmaker
FA Laws of the Game
FA Futsal Laws of the Game

Many of our staff have voluntary roles at Sporting 87 Football Club*. The Bury St Edmunds based club is an FA Charter Standard Community Club that also has Sport England ClubMark standards accreditation.

Academy Coach –		Academy Coach –

James Price		Harry Bentley
“Your best football comes from a simple decision.”–		“Football is for everyone.”–
FA licensed Level 4 (Psychology) & UEFA B football coach UEFA B goalkeeper coach UEFA B futsal coach FA futsal goalkeeper coach FA mentoring coach Suffolk FA Coaches Academy graduate Founding committee member Suffolk FA WAYS League Suffolk Sports EDF Energy Young Community Volunteer of the Year award winner Education, experience and background: Kings Lynn Town FC Academy Lead, Totenham Hotspur FC Academy and Women’s Coach, Norwich City FC Community Coach, Ipswich Town Community Coach. Media Production, Level 3 National Diploma. ADHD Awareness, Level 2 TES Educare Certificate. Mental Wellbeing in Children and Young People, Level 2 TES Educare Certificate. Body Language Diploma (Dist.), CPD accreditation. CRB/DBS cert no. 001523509054.		FA football coach Coach at Sporting 87 Football Club Education, experience and background: BTec in Sport Science and Sociology. Early Childhood Studies undergraduate at West Suffolk University CRB/DBS cert no. 001759947399.
Academy Coach –		Academy Coach & Football Pastor

Dario Xavier		Sammy Hepper
“Good football gives a good life.”–		“There are many parts, but one body. There are many players, but one team.”–
FA football coach Coach at Sporting 87 Football Club Education, experience and background: Music Production Level 3. Music Performance undergraduate at West Suffolk University CRB/DBS cert no. E0822819533.		FA qualified football coach Emergency First Aid Certification, St John’s Ambulance Education, experience and background: History BA Honours York University, children’s humanitarian worker in Africa, upper school learning support team member, Wholeness Counselling Training Course Certificate CRB/DBS cert. no. 001730407109.
Lead Coach		Lead Coach

Katie Hopkins		Cerys Brown
“Appropriateness is fundamental.”		“Tiny steps lead to great strides.”
FA Level 2 / UEFA C football coach FA futsal coach FA mentoring coach Youth team lead coach of Sporting 87 Football Club West Suffolk College Outstanding Early Years Student of the Year 2017 ST ladies futsal squad member Education, experience and background: BA (hon) Education Children’s Play Learning & Development, Level 3 National Diploma CRB/DBS cert no. 001533283550.		FA Level 2 / UEFA C football coach FA futsal coach FA mentoring coach ST ladies futsal squad member Education, experience and background: Art & Design (Graphics), Level 3 National Diploma. Film Production undergraduate at Farnham University of Creative Arts CRB/DBS cert no. 001533265008.
Lead Coach –		Lead Coach –

Rachel Bolton		Suzannah Spurgeon
“Walking football is great exercise, a fantastic social experience, and has such a positive effect on everyone’s mental health.”		“1 Corinthians 12:26: If one member suffers, all members suffer, if one member is honoured we all rejoice.”
FA football coach ST ladies futsal squad member ST walking futsal squad member Education, experience and background: Financial accountant (AAT) for local car dealership, NVQ L4. CRB/DBS cert no. E0604013196.		FA football coach FA futsal coach ST ladies futsal squad member Education, experience and background: Learning Support Assistant in a primary school. Mentor and respite foster carer. Qualified youth worker. Church youth groups leader. Stowmarket Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Saturday Club youth leader. British Sign Language (BSL) qualified. CRB/DBS cert no. E0676734169.
Lead Coach & Football Pastor		Lead Coach –

Ben Goddard		Bethany Mayhew
“Sporting provides opportunity to build confidence, friendship, ability and relationship with God.”		“Football is a fun sport that requires hard work and commitment.”
FA football coach Football Pastor Involved with the club for over ten years through playing and coaching Education, experience and background: Theology and Youth Work BA (Hons) Moorlands Bible College CRB/DBS cert no. 001595635781.		FA football coach Education, experience and background: BTec in Accounting. Accounting Studies undergraduate at West Suffolk University CRB/DBS cert no. E0812977241.
Coach –		Coach –

Ciaran Brown		Jake Brett
“Without ambition we are just playing.”		“Compete with respect.”
FA football coach Current player Kings Lynn Town U23 Former Ipswich Town Football and Education Scholar Education, experience and background: Sport Science HND. Sport and Physical Activity (Sports Coaching), NCFE Level 3 Extended Diploma. Currently Sport Science undergraduate at Loughborough College CRB/DBS cert no. 001799924668.		FA football coach FA futsal coach Education, experience and background: TBD CRB/DBS cert no. 001758927751.
Coach –		Coach –

Jack Furnell		William Van Holland
“Skills for the game are skills for life.”		“Nuture the player and inspire the team.”
FA football coach Education, experience and background: Former student at Abbeygate Sixth Form. Currently undergraduate at Sheffield University CRB/DBS cert no. 000000000000.		FA football coach FA talent identification scout FA disability coach PFSA football scout PFSA football data and performance analyst Education, experience and background: Currently Football Scholarship at Sporting Trust CRB/DBS cert no. 001855952785.
Lead Coach –		Lead Coach –

Sarah Thornley		Jordan Stannard
“Teach the game to know the game. I want to teach the joy and value of football.”		“Standards raised come from practice made.”
FA football coach Education, experience and background: Art & Design (Graphics), Level 3 National Diploma. Film Production undergraduate at Farnham University of Creative Arts CRB/DBS cert no. 001774329004.		FA football coach Former ITFC Elite Player Education, experience and background: Business Masters at Portsmouth University CRB/DBS cert. no. E0696913709.