August 5 2014.
After being involved with Denton & South Heighton Junior Football Club (DaSH JFC) for ten years, Chairman and Secretary, Laurence and Paula Woolven, have handed the reins over to a new committee.DaSH JFC was founded more than forty years ago by the late Buck Charman, landlord of community pub, The Hampden Arms, and is still a thriving FA Charter Standard youth football club with over a hundred young members.
The couple, from Telscombe Cliffs, became involved when their son, Kyle, now 15, joined the club and have held a variety of roles as well as Chairman and Secretary, including fundraiser, manager, press officer and child welfare officer.
FA Level 2 Qualified Coach Laurence, 42, was named Sussex FA Coach of the Year in 2007 and Brighton & Hove City Sports and Physical Activity Awards Coach of the Year in 2009, and took part in a football masterclass with former England Manager Sven Goran Eriksson after being nominated by his team.
Paula, also 42, fundraised over £10,000 in a year, to finalise the purchase of a changing room and toilet block at DaSH JFC's home pitch, The Hollow, in 2008, and has organised countless trips and experiences for the players, finishing this week with club-wide beach football sessions at Yellow Wave, Brighton seafront. She also organised a club fun day that was attended by England 1966 World Cup goal-scoring legend, Geoff Hurst, in 2012.
Between them, they have volunteered over 6,000 hours in the last ten years, mostly weekends and evenings - the equivalent of more than three years of full time unpaid work - and they still find time to volunteer for Seaford Musical Theatre Juniors and Community Transport charity CTLA, as well as working and caring for their three children.
They were presented with a commemorative plaque and meal voucher by new Chairman, Lee Tully, for their years of dedication and service.
For more information on DaSH JFC visit www.dash-jfc.co.uk
Pictured: Laurence meets Sven and Paula (left) at a DaSH Fun Day with fellow volunteer Marilyn Nolan.