AN innovative scheme to promote sport in the community, initiated by the Farnham Sports Council, has been welcomed by numerous agencies including Sport England, the Surrey Playing Fields and Active Surrey, the county sports partnership body.

Applications for external funding to operate the ‘Team Farnham’ scheme were sought and successfully secured last year from key agencies including Waverley Borough Council, Farnham Town Council, the Surrey Playing Fields and The Farnham Institute.

Team Farnham is simply a promotional tool to support community sports clubs, heighten awareness of sporting opportunities in the town and create a welcoming and consistent message in the community. Essentially it aims to increase the widest community participation in Farnham’s community sports clubs and health and activity centres.

Some 24 community sports clubs already participate in the promotional project, identified with banners outside their clubs, and the latest ones include Farnham Boxing Club, Farnham and the Bourne cricket clubs, Stellar Gymnastics, Farnham United Football Club, Farnham Runners, Farnham Knights, Farnham Park Golf Club and the Farnham Leisure Centre, who all received their Team Farnham banners at the recent meeting of the Farnham Sports Council.

David Gill, chairman of the town’s sports council said: “It’s a fast changing and technological new world and we want sport and active lifestyles to be the decision of choice for as many individuals as possible in the Farnham area.

“We’re trying with the support of our clubs to say to everyone in the community, regardless of your circumstances, you can have the opportunity to participate in sport and active lifestyles through the many first-rate sports or health clubs in the town.

“There’s literally something for everyone. This effort is a partnership with many of the local community sports clubs in Farnham and we’d also very much like our valued clubs to gain more members and to become even stronger and more sustainable.”