Training sessions are about to get a bit warmer for the Stoke Lane Lions Under-10s football teams, thanks to a donation from a local Co-operative store.

The community-based youth football team has bought new training hoodies for all 22 players thanks to a £500 donation from Southern Co-op’s store in North Road, Stoke Gifford.

The hoodies will help keep them warm as they train in all weathers.

Alex Whitton, Store Manager at Southern Co-op’s Stoke Gifford store, said:

“All the children have at the moment is their main kit provided by the club. They were in need of something to help them keep warm when it gets cold or they are waiting around on the pitch.”

“They love playing football, so hopefully this will help them play in all weathers. The club is very local and it gives children of all ages the opportunity to participate in organised football.”

“My own son has played in the team since he was five or six years old, so it is great to watch him and the other players growing.”

The U10 Lions team, which is run exclusively by parents and volunteers, is now playing in its third season. It forms part of Stoke Lane AFC, which prides itself on being family-orientated, with players of every age group at the heart of the club.

More about the Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme »

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Stoke Gifford resident Joseph Budd recently made his debut for the Welsh U17 football team at an international tournament in Portugal.

Joe, who is 16 and attends Abbeywood Community School, started playing football when he was just five years old. He used to attend ‘soccer camps’ during the summer holidays and joined the Stoke Lane U7 team when he was six. As he got older and his skills developed, his coach Steve Moore took him to Bristol Rovers for a trial and he signed his first youth contract with them when he was nine.

Explaining what he loves so much about football, Joe said:

“Football keeps me fit. I enjoy training and the challenge that comes with trying to play such a physical and demanding sport. I always enjoy the challenge of testing myself against different opponents that you come up against each week and I’m always striving to get better.”

Since signing his first youth contract, Joe has gone from strength to strength and in the summer of 2018 he was called up to play for Wales U17s in the Telki Cup in Hungary. The tournament took place in September and, whilst there, he played against Croatia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Describing the experience, Joe said:

“Hungary was a fantastic experience. Although I was nervous, I was lucky that the captain was a good friend with whom I played at Rovers, and all the boys and coaches made me feel very welcome. I was still only 15 during that trip, but I qualified to play because of my year of birth. I was really happy that I made two substitute appearances and started the second game.”

As soon as Joe returned from Hungary, he was called up by Wales to attend a training camp in Newport and it was here that he was told that he had been put on the reserve list to play in the UEFA qualifiers in Portugal in October. Joe then had an agonising wait to find out if he would be going to Portugal but when the Welsh U17s coach, Rob Edwards, watched him score two goals whilst playing for Bristol Rovers U16s, he received the call saying he would be joining the rest of the squad. Joe was in Portugal for a week where he made two second-half substitute appearances and started the third game against Portugal. Joe said:

“I was so proud to start my first competitive international game, especially as my mum, dad, gran, nan and both grandads had flown out to watch me.”

More: Scholarship offer from Bristol Rovers FC »

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Abbeywood Community School student Liam Holden has recently been crowned junior kickboxing world champion at a tough competition which was held in Venice, Italy.

Liam, who has been kickboxing since he was 6 years old, is now 13 and competes in about ten tournaments a year, both here and abroad. The world championships that took place in Venice between 16th and 23rd September saw over 1,000 competitors from 64 countries battling it out to be named world champion. With the temperature in Italy being a toasty 26 degrees and the arena not being air conditioned, it was tough conditions for Liam to fight in, however, having trained in similar conditions, he was well prepared for the tournament.

Liam won his fights every day of the competition, beating opponents from Hungary, Argentina, Slovenia and Russia. On Saturday 22nd September he faced a player from Ireland in the final. His opponent was tough, but Liam was in control from the beginning and maintained good scoring all the way through the fight. After a week of fights, Liam was crowned Junior kickboxing World Champion. His mum Kelly, who was there supporting him during the tournament, said

“I don’t think I could ever explain the emotions I felt when Liam stepped out to fight in his final, and when they lifted his arm as the winner, it was one of the proudest moments of my life! I was so pleased for him, he works and trains so hard and gave up his whole summer to train every day.”

Liam can’t quite believe his success, saying:

“It still hasn’t really sunk in that I am world champion; it was just the best feeling to stand on top of the podium hearing the national anthem being played!”

More: Further success for Liam in the Bristol Open »

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Anyone walking their dog or taking an early morning stroll through Little Stoke Park shortly after 9am on Sunday 7th October may have been surprised to see scores of children dressed as cartoon characters running enthusiastically around the perimeter of the park. It’s not exactly the usual time of day to host a birthday party, but this wasn’t a child’s party, rather, it was a special celebration to mark Little Stoke Junior Parkrun’s 200th event.

Although the venue’s main weekly 5km parkrun event folded in 2016 after the parish council withdrew permission for free use of the park (amid widespread criticism from the running community both locally and nationally), a 2km junior parkrun continues to be staged at 9am every Sunday, attracting an average of 60 youngsters in the 4 to 14 year-old age range.

Children taking part in the milestone event were given the option of completing it in fancy dress and were treated to a specially prepared 200th birthday cake baked by one of the volunteer organisers.

Junior parkrun is open to all and taking part is very straightforward: having signed up for free on the parkrun website and printed their personal barcode, runners turn up at Little Stoke Park shortly before 9am on Sunday, listen to the run briefing, take part in a short, fun warm-up routine, run a lap and a bit of the park, then have their barcode and finish token scanned so that the results can be processed and published later.

There are those who come to achieve a new personal best or a new milestone (and have a free wristband awarded for running the equivalent of a half, full or ultra-marathon). Then there are those who love coming for social reasons – new friendships are formed and kids run together, play in the park and spend more time with one another outside of the Sunday run.

One participant, Ruby, aged 11, said: “I like going to junior parkrun because it’s fun and it keeps you fit and healthy.” So far, she has taken part in 45 junior and 11 standard parkruns and volunteered on eight occasions.

More: Parkrun is inclusive – no matter what your background or abilities »

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