Durham Association
international experiences. Last
year for example some individual
members of our clubs went out
to places such as Africa and
America.”
Success
“I think the key for us has been
the fact that we say what we do on
the tin. We were set up to operate
sporting activities and we continue
to do that. We specialise in what
we have done well for many, many
years.
We’ve had some tremendous
successes over the years; Steph
Houghton (Manchester City and
England) has come through our
system and I can remember her
playing at ten years old and
now she’s regarded as a key
ambassador for Women’s football
across the world.”
Giving Back
“We try to respond to the
needs of our clubs and their
young people and believe that it is
important to give them what they
are interested in. Our strapline is,
’Invest in young people, it lasts a
life time,’ and what we’ve found
is that a lot of the young people
who have benefitted from what we
provide have actually come back
to help as volunteers.”
The Future
“I think one of the biggest
challenges for us is raising funds.
We don’t receive any government
funding so it is important to keep
our costs under control but we have
always focused on maintaining
high standards and providing
good quality facilities.
We’ve just moved offices
to Chester-le-Street and we’re
looking to consolidate what we
do. We’re always looking to add
new activities for our members
to improve the opportunities
available to them. Next year
we’re looking to introduce rugby
and have spoken with a couple of
clubs about that so it is an exciting
time for everyone involved.
There really are a lot of
individual success stories and
that is what it is about; it is about
looking at the talent and potential
that people have and giving them
opportunities that they perhaps
wouldn’t find elsewhere.”
www sportip biz
47