£25k cash boost for Dalkeith Thistle Community Football Club

'‹'‹SCOTTISH amateur footballers now have a new astroturf training area thanks to a £25,000 sponsorship deal.

Andrew Mickel, director of Mactaggart & Mickel, is greeted by Steven Dixon, chair of Dalkeith Thistle Community FC and their youths. Picture: Supplied

Dalkeith’s premier football ‘academy’ – Dalkeith Thistle Community Football Club - has won a shirt sponsorship deal with housebuilder Mactaggart & Mickel Homes which has funded the purchase and installation of a new astroturf playing area.

The £25,000 cash injection means that the Club can reduce expenditure on external training facilities, generating significant savings each year for reinvestment in the club’s future.

The new training area will be ready for use by the end of June.

Steven Dixon, chair of Dalkeith Thistle Community Football Club, said: “This generous funding will make a tremendous difference - for the Club, our players and the wider community.

“The new all-weather surface means we can organise more training sessions each week within our own grounds without having to travel to other venues. We will also save money on hire costs, so the benefits will be felt for years to come.

“We are grateful to Mactaggart & Mickel for their support and I would like to pay tribute to Andrew Mickel for his personal involvement in securing this deal for us.”

Andrew Mickel, director of Mactaggart & Mickel, said: “Stevie leads a superb team at Dalkeith CFC.

“ Every one of them is totally committed to the Club, to the players and to providing a true community hub. For our part, we are proud to be making a positive contribution to the communities surrounding our developments.”

Dalkeith Thistle Community Football Club has been an integral part of the local community and football scene since its inception in the 1960s.

Formerly known as Dalkeith Miners CYP, in 2016 the club changed its name to help promote a link with Dalkeith Thistle Juniors FC and Dalkeith Thistle Amateurs, and to give players the opportunity to continue playing football as adults.

The Club has more than 300 youth players including 40 girls, plus 65 dedicated adult coaches. It has been awarded a ‘Development’ Quality Mark by the Scottish Football Association.

Recognising the financial constraints placed on families, and with child poverty in Scotland at its highest level for years, the club is committed to keeping fees to a minimum ensuring that no-one is excluded for financial reasons.

The club’s primary objective is to serve the young people of Dalkeith & Midlothian by offering a variety of football activities.

Mactaggart & Mickel Homes has a development across the road from the Club at Thornybank Green, and is also building new homes at Millerhill within the new Shawfair community near Danderhall.

The firm is an award winning, fourth-generation family housebuilder who have been handcrafting homes since 1925.

With 12 active sites in exclusive locations across Scotland, their properties range from contemporary apartments to luxury family homes.

Mactaggart & Mickel Homes have a history of supporting good causes. In 2016 they launched the Building Communities Fund to continue the company’s efforts to help organisations and projects which enhance the lives of people within their local communities.

The fund is open throughout the year to applications from charities, community groups, sports teams and schools within a five mile radius of any live Mactaggart & Mickel Homes development.