Local MP cheers on Bath City FC and Celebrates “incredible community impact” of their Foundation

15 January 2024

On 13th January, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath Wera Hobhouse, paid a visit to Twerton Park, home of Bath City FC to watch the FA Trophy Fourth Round tie between City and Coalville Town.

Although the match ended in a disappointing loss on penalties for the Stripes, Wera enjoyed her visit, as always.

Bath City FC is a sixth-tier, semi-professional club established in 1889. Since becoming community owned in 2017 it has seen its attendances rise dramatically with an average of over 1200 fans flooding through the turnstiles for every home game this season.

With a successful women’s team, and associated youth teams providing regular recreational and competitive playing opportunities to around 550 children (with around 120 of those girls), the club is a thriving community hub for the beautiful game.

On weekdays the stadium is home to several community and commercial organisations, among them Forget Me Not dementia club, Roman Boxing Gym, and webuyanycar.com - as well as Bath City FC Foundation.

While at the game the Bath MP had the opportunity to chat to the organisation’s CEO, James Carlin, about the huge range of charitable activities his organisation, and their incredible impact.

James told Wera: “Bath City FC Foundation worked with 3,500 people across B&NES last year, from ages 4-98, delivering a wide variety of football-related activities in our target communities of Twerton, Whiteway and Southdown plus the wider Bath and North East Somerset area, including walking football, disability football, Man vs Fat.”

The Foundation also runs a Schools Programme working with 15 schools in B&NES to provide affordable after-school football sessions and holiday camps, as well as a Refugee Programme working with Julian House to provide an inclusive football session for people that have recently arrived in Bath as refugees.

Their women and girls programme ensures that gender is not a barrier to playing football, and the groundbreaking Reconnecting Twerton project runs social events and provides support for isolated members of the community in Twerton.

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, commented:

“I love my visits to Bath City! There is nothing like sport, and football in particular, to bring people from all backgrounds and ages together on a Saturday afternoon, and when that is coupled with incredible community impact as delivered by the Bath City FC Foundation, everyone is a winner.”