PLAYERS at Somerset’s only powerchair football team are celebrating after receiving a much-needed grant worth £1,500 to continue enjoying the sport they love.

The forward-thinking Frome Falcons gives opportunities to people with physical disabilities to play football, with players using a joystick to manoeuvre an electric wheelchair with large bumpers attached to the front.

The four-a-side matches are played on a pitch the size of a basketball court, with a ball that is double the size of a regular ball.

However, keeping the South West’s biggest club running is a challenge, so head coach Jenny Rutter applied to Tesco’s Stronger Starts scheme, which awards funds to charities and community organisations that make a positive difference in the lives of local people.

The club’s application was successful, earning it £1,500 grant, and Jenny said the money will go towards enabling people of all ages to continue playing all year round.

Jenny said: “We’re so grateful to Tesco for this funding. It really will make a difference to the people at Frome Falcons.

“We are the only powerchair football team in the whole of Somerset, where we give opportunities to people with physical disabilities to play football.

“The club train every fortnight and has 26 participants, the vast majority of whom are under the age of 18.

“For many, the sport is the only active team sport they can play, making this club so important for their social, mental and physical wellbeing.

“For different players and different abilities there are different goals. For some it is about improving to beat other teams in matches and scoring goals.

“For others it may be about practicing their driving skills so that they can use a powerchair independently in day-to-day life.

“The club serves such a wide demographic of disabilities, ages, and needs. This is why Frome Falcons is inherently so important.”

The Stronger Starts scheme, in partnership with the Groundwork charity, aims to support many Somerset community projects and good causes in the coming years, with thousands of pounds to give away.

The scheme typically gives shoppers a chance of voting for local good causes to receive a £500, £1,000 or £1,500 grant.

Claire De Silva, head of community at Tesco, said: “We’re delighted that we can help groups and clubs like the Frome Falcons.

“Stronger Starts invites our customers to use their blue tokens to vote for local schemes they feel will benefit children and young people, and it’s so good to see the impact that the funding makes.”

Somerset shoppers can support their local school and children’s groups by dropping the Tesco blue token they receive at checkout into the relevant voting box as they leave the store.

To apply for Stronger Starts funding, go online at https://tescostrongerstarts.org.uk Further information about Frome Falcons is available at https://fromefalconspfc.yolasite.com/