A festival of fun, food and football has been organised by a youth club this weekend in south Oxford.
The Rose Hill Youth FC ‘Football Festival’ will take place at the Rose Hill Community Centre, Carole’s Way, on Saturday, July 6.
The event will run from 9am until 4pm and will consist of football tournaments running alongside a BBQ and a bouncy castle.
48 teams from around Oxfordshire will participate in youth football tournaments throughout the day, with boys’ and girls’ competitions ranging from under 8s to under 14s.
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All raised funds will go to the football club and to cover costs of sending last season’s Rose Hill Youth FC kits to children in Zambia.
Stalls will also be selling items to raise money for local causes including The Early Pregnancy Unit, the Rose Hill Youth Club and SSNAP (Supporting Sick Newborn and their Parents).
Kevin Juggins, chairman of Rose Hill Youth FC, said: “The Football Festival is all about bringing everyone together for a day of fun while raising vital funds to enable us to run our eight teams at the lowest possible cost to families.
“At Rose Hill Youth FC, our aim has always been to create a club that serves as a community hub and create a sense of local identity and pride.
“Sport breaks down barriers and we are proud of the strong bonds we have been able to establish with the community.”
The community event is expected to go on long after the youth matches finish, with England fans able to watch the Three Lions play at 5pm in the bar at the Rose Hill Community Centre.
Rose Hill Youth FC committee member Matthew Reville added: “The club has been organising the Football Festival for months – and it’s great that it now falls on the same day as a huge England knock-out game.
“What better way to get into the mood for the quarter final than supporting grass-roots football here in Oxford?
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“Who knows – the next Jude Bellingham might be playing for one of the 48 teams taking part in our tournaments."
With no local football team in an area of south Oxford "affected by austerity cuts", Rose Hill Youth FC was launched in 2018 to "create a hub for the area and build a sense of local identity".
Mr Juggins and his team of enthusiastic volunteers have helped the club grow from strength to strength, and young footballers have flocked to the club since its creation.
The club is keen to bring in new volunteer coaches wishing to get involved in grassroots football and provide opportunities for even more local children to play the beautiful game.
Attendees of the Football Festival can make voluntary donations on arrival and there will be parking available which will cost £5 per car.
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