Youngsters from Westend Juniors FC paid a visit to Wembley on Saturday after winning a grassroots community award for spreading smiles during lockdown.
Inspired by the selfless actions of England star Marcus Rashford, the Huddersfield-based junior football club launched Westend Community Champions just before Christmas last year.
It was a project aimed at bringing a little festive joy to deserving children impacted by lockdown.
Youngsters and their families rallied round and a bag of presents was delivered to 2,000 children. Not content with that, when club chairman Shaun Weatherhead heard that some children were struggling for basics like pens and paper during home-schooling Westend Community Champions leapt into action again delivering 820 educational packs.
READ MORE: Westend Junior deliver educational packs in lockdown
And there was more. The young champions have helped donate more than 3,000 items to a food bank and 2,500 items of clothing to Sanctuary Kirklees, a centre for refugees, asylum seekers and the homeless.
They also encouraged people to knit woolly hats for premature babies and produced 120 pamper packs for NHS nurses.
In total Westend Community Champions raised the equivalent of £100,000 to help those most in need.
Shaun said: “The response from the community was phenomenal and the children got involved and, speaking on behalf of myself and all the parents, we couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The icing on the cake has been winning the Grassroots Project of the Year at the FA and McDonald’s Grassroots Football National Awards.
Shaun took a group down to Wembley on Saturday for the presentation where they were thrilled to meet FA ambassador and 1966 World Cup hattrick hero Sir Geoff Hurst.
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The youngsters were hailed by the awards judges as “an incredible bunch of inspiring heroes” and they also received a video message of congratulations from Huddersfield Town captain Jonathan Hogg.
Shaun said: “Sir Geoff was unbelievable with the kids. He spent five minutes asking about their project. It was a truly unforgettable and humbling experience.”
