Back in September the club was approached by the BIAS committee to see if there were specific projects that, with the club’s precarious financial position, weren’t being funded that we could lend our support to.

The committee was clear that we were unwilling to put what little funding we had available into the blackhole that was the club’s general financing and that any support had to be targetted at projects that would support the longer term development of the team, and the club in general.

Alan Bird, the club’s Finance Director, put BIAS in touch with Barry Quin, the Head of Youth Development. Barry had a number of items that he was struggling to get funding for that, while not significant in the wider scheme of things, would make a big difference to his running of the Centre of Excellence.

In the past 6 months, BIAS have donated more than £2,000 to the CoE that has been used for the following:
Supported the prospectus that is used to attract young players to the club
Junior goals for the U8 and U9 teams
A new Physio bench
A Boundary Rope system for the Youth team pitches

The BIAS committee are delighted to be able to offer support to the excellent work Barry is doing with what will hopefully be players who will make it through to the first team squad in the future. This has only been possible through the support of BIAS members and we hope that, with this and the other BIAS initiatives over recent months, fans see BIAS as a key part of the extended BFC family, not only there when there are protests to be made but there to support the long term future of the club.

If you want to be part of this, please join BIAS if you are not already a member, and as importantly, come along to a committee meeting and get involved.

BIAS would like to make specific mention of a donation from a BIAS member, who also sits on the BU Board. The donation was extremely generous and directed specifically at the support we have given to the CoE – we would like to thank him for his support on behalf of the Committee and also the CoE.