THE DAGGERS’ TRUST

The Dagenham & Redbridge Football Club Community

Trust is a registered Charity (1141511) and a Limited

Company. The Trust is underwritten by the Football

Club but is a separate legal entity in its own right.

The Trust raises funds to operate its activities in the

local community, for all members of the local

community. The Trust works with its various partners to

provide a wide variety of opportunities for the very

diverse members of our local community in East London.

FUNDING

In addition to earnt income from some of its

activities, the Dagger’s Trust relies heavily on

successful grant bid funding from a variety of

organisations and individuals. These include: The

National League Trust, the Premier League

Charitable Fund, The English Football League

Trust, the Home Office, LBBD and many others. The funding allows the Trust to

offer many of its activities free of charge to the local community.

TRUST ACTIVITIES

WOMEN & GIRLS’ FOOTBALL

The Trust offers Women & Girls from the age of 5 upwards the opportunity to participate in a variety of

football activities from early years’ development through to competitive league matches in the Essex

County Leagues with Dagenham & Redbridge Ladies FC. Whether they just want to get fit and have fun,

or become one of the new generation of Lionesses, the Trust has something for everyone. From Tuesday

evening Mini Kickers (5-8) Mini Kicks (8-12), through to ‘Girls only PL Kicks (12-19). ‘Girls’ Night Out’ on a

Monday is for any female aged 14 upwards. Funded by the National League and Wembley Trusts, this is

an evening of fun and fitness through football for females.

The Marks Gate Project

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE LADIES FC

Having started only two years ago with National

League Trust and Football Foundation funding, the

Daggers’ Ladies hope to field five, possibly six,

teams next season. The current Under 13 team won

the Essex County Girls’ League this year. Training

takes place every week throughout the year and the

Club organised and ran a very successful Open

Training Day at Victoria Road last month, when over 70 players took part.

PREMIER LEAGUE KICKS

Premier League ‘Kicks’ is one of the Premier League's flagship

community programmes. PL Kicks started in 2006 and has a long

history of using the power of football and the value of sports

participation to help hard to reach youngsters in some of the most

‘high need’ areas.

The Daggers’ Trust has been involved with the Kicks (formerly

‘Kickz’) programme since its inception and currently operates five sessions per week throughout the year

at Goals Dagenham.

Through its various PL Kicks programmes the Trust provides 9 hours of football each week for children

aged 8-19, plus a handful who are even younger. In the coming months the Trust hopes to develop links

with the Metropolitan Police to assist with the delivery of Kicks in the coming months. Statistics show that

antisocial behaviour drops by up to 50% in some areas when a PL Kicks activity takes place.

SOCCER & MULTISPORT SCHOOLS

When funding is available, the Trust organises School

Holiday Soccer Schools, Multisport activities and Inter

School Festivals. In 2018 the Trust ran a very

successful World Cup Inter School Festival and four

weeks of free soccer schools at Goals Dagenham

funded by the NLT. A free Inter School Olympic

Multisport Festival is planned for July 2019.

EDUCATION

Over the past 12 months The Daggers’ Trust has continued to

develop its education links and currently works in, and with, most

of the schools in the Borough, providing multisport clubs, staff CPD

and taught curriculum PE. Additionally, the Trust welcomes

schools to Victoria Road not only for a stadium tour, but also to

use the venue as a teaching resource for students of all ages from

Key Stage 1 through to sixth form and beyond. During term time

the Trust engages with a minimum of 600 local school children

each week. Henry Green, Valence and William Bellamy are three

primary schools which have represented the Daggers in The

National League Trust ‘Under 11 Cup’ and the ‘Vitality Westminster

Mile’. Last year’s successful ‘World Cup Festival’ for schools was

attended by over 500 pupils and staff. An ‘Olympic Multisport

School Festival’ will be held in July this year. The Trust continues

to expand its education links including FE (Barking and Dagenham College)

and HE (UEL).

Literacy, numeracy, business, design, journalism, sport and healthy lifestyles

are just some of the subjects which can be supported at Victoria Road.

The Daggers players and coaching staff have also ventured out into schools

and training & social centres to talk to pupils, attendees and staff on a variety

of topics and have participated in activities such as ‘World Book Day’ and the

‘Osborne Partnership Talent Day’.

GUARD OF HONOUR AND STADIUM TOURS

All year, many local teams, schools and youth groups have visited Victoria

Road. On a match day they have taken part in a pre-match parade around

the pitch and formed a ‘Guard of Honour at the Players’ Tunnel just before

kick-off. Additionally, they have enjoyed a behind the scenes tour of the

Stadium, visiting the various dressing rooms and other facilities ‘down the

tunnel.’ Some very lucky children were able to have a kick

around on the pitch in May after all the fixtures were

finished and pupils from Eastbrook Primary spent a

morning mapping and measuring the pitch.

There were plenty of opportunities for them to take

photographs emerging from the tunnel, the dressing

rooms and on the team benches.

WORKING IN, WITH AND FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

The Daggers’ Trust endeavours to reach as many members of the

local community as possible, offering its services and activities at

either cost, or below cost prices. In fact, many of the activities are

provided free. The Trust works with its partners to obtain use of

facilities at heavily discounted rates, or free of charge.

The Trust working with the Club, the local LBBD Council, the Football Association, The

National League Trust, The Premier League Charitable Fund, The Home Office, local

schools and many local businesses, tries to meet many of the needs of the community. It

has recently worked on a number of initiatives eg ‘Daggers Against Racism Day’, ‘Coats

for Goalposts’, ‘BSBT’and ‘Daggers’ United’.

The Trust has links with many other external local organisations, including

London United, IDDP, the Excel Women’s Centre, the Muslimah Sports

Association, Everyone Active, Essex CCC, BDSFA, Essex FA, On the Rock

and Powerhouse International Ministries, to name just a few.

Just over a year ago, following a spate of

very serious crimes in the Marks Gate area, the Trust began its first

‘Coats for Goalposts’ activity in conjunction with the On the Rock

Ministries. The project was funded by the LBBD. Every second Sunday,

groups of young people, boys and girls, aged 5-19 get together to play

football for fun on the rough grass areas of

the estate. A similar project began in June

in Pondfield Park and funding has just

become available from LBBD to run this and

two further projects in the Borough eg Harts

Lane and Becontree.

In recent months the Trust has organised a variety of meetings, training courses and social gatherings for

a variety of local schools, clubs, carers and the LBBD at Victoria Road encouraging the development of

the Club as a community hub.

THE FUTURE

The Trust’s involvement in the local community has come a long way during the last two years and looks

to continue that growth in the future with the support and generosity of its partners.

e-mail: fitc@daggers.co.uk telephone: 020 8592 1549 x5 Twitter: @daggerstrust