The Bury FC Football in the Community Scheme has been in existence over 20 years and is part of a national scheme that includes most professional football clubs.

The Community Programme is a self-funding, non-profit making organisation and offers a wide variety of activities to the local community.

Our aim is to promote football related activities in a fun, but structured atmosphere and at the same time encourage participation in physical exercise to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

With full support from the football club, the community scheme provides a vital link between the local community and the football club. Working together we can make a difference.

Research in the mid-1980's highlighted the need for professional clubs to forge closer links with their communities.

This led to a pilot scheme in 1986 introduced by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) in the Northwest of England, comprising of six participating clubs.

Funding for the pilot venture was made available from Central Government via the Manpower Services Commission's "Community Programme Initiative". The schemes aims and objectives at the time were:

ØTo provide temporary employment and training for unemployed people
ØTo promote closer links between community and the professional clubs
ØTo involve minority and ethnic groups
ØTo maximise the use of facilities at the football club

The success of the six club project quickly lead to other projects being set up in other parts of the country:

Ø1987 Lancashire, Cheshire and Merseyside
Ø1988 Yorkshire and the North East
Ø1989 West Midlands
Ø1990 East Midlands

Bury Football Club was one of the first six participating clubs which began the scheme in 1986.

Football clubs carry the hopes and aspirations of their supporters and are thus able to influence the behaviour in a positive way. Through education and enjoyment the programme seeks to reduce the potential of bad behaviour, hooliganism and racism not only in the game itself but also in all walks of life.

For further info on the Shakers Football in the Community Scheme, click here to log onto the FitC Website