We have reasonably well paid jobs, and have two kids who get pretty much everything they want (and more on top )

But not all children are so lucky. The Huddersfield Town Foundation has a goal of improving the quality of life for young people across Huddersfield and the West Yorkshire area. It’s the brainchild of Huddersfield Town FC owner Dean Hoyle, who prior to establishing the Foundation, had worked with local businesspeople and individuals to secure funding to take almost 2000 kids who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to attend, to the League 1 Play off finals at Old Trafford and Wembley.

The Huddersfield Town Foundation quickly established itself locally, partnering with a growing number of primary schools to develop the award winning breakfast club initiative, currently operating in 20+ local schools and serving up more than a 1000 nutritious breakfasts daily to children who would likely otherwise go without. The clubs footballers regularly turn up to help out at the breakfast clubs, and help promote healthy life choices. These kids really do benefit from the clubs in countless ways, I know a couple of teachers who have told me they’ve witnessed the turnaround in children who come to school disinterested and bored, the kids most likely to skip school and struggle academically, within only weeks turning up to school enthused and raring to go.

It’s already fantastic enough, but then you consider that EVERY single penny donated or fundraised for the Foundation goes directly into funding positive projects to benefit local youngsters, as all administration and business costs are paid for by Huddersfield Town Football Club, and it becomes an even greater charity to support.

The Huddersfield Town Foundation had a bit of a relaunch this summer, as well as the Healthy kids cornerstone, they are now planning to expand into Sport, supporting young people get the opportunities to compete, officiate or volunteer. Additionally they want to play a huge part in Education, delivering quality sessions, supporting the teachers and ensuring a lasting legacy remains, moving on to work with partners in local Higher and Further Education institutes, beyond the primary schools where the headline Breakfast Clubs have been established.

The Huddersfield Town Foundation needs money to ensure it carries on doing what it’s done to date, and needs more money to grow into the areas where it sees itself expanding and providing even greater support right to the people who need it most.

I support this charity because it resonates a lot with me, those that have known me a long time and grew up with me as a child will know that we lived in an area of massive diversity and there was true poverty in amongst that, but where everyone was equal when they got to school, and the kids recognised the togetherness and positivity that came from supportive teaching and doing sport together, from then elites down to the “last picks” (some of us realised this at the time, some of us hopefully did years later!). 

It resonates with me because the schools I went to would have massively benefited from such as the Breakfast Club style initiatives…and I like that whilst I don’t know the kids benefiting from the Hudds Town Foundation today, I KNOW these kids, I went to school with them, or kids just like them anyway, except they were wearing flares and had crazy Afro’s and wore tshirts with Jet Planes or Skateboarders on the front.

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I have not set a massive target for fundraising, I’m well aware that the same people who supported me on my first 10k and my first half marathon etc are likely to be the same set of people who will support me again, and I’m not a massive fan of funding through charity, I’d rather see problems solved more permanently and sustainably.

So, please don’t feel implored to donate, but please do visit http://nigelrunslochness.wordpress.com/ , read a few of the pieces I’ve uploaded, especially those with a ‘fundraising’ tag, learn a little about my journey, and if you also want to support the Town Foundation through monetary donation, then go ahead and click the button, or even just share the link so others get a chance to see what I’m doing.

Many many thanks for those that do, and many many thanks for those that simply send me up to the banks of Loch Ness with good thoughts to power me on 😊