Go-ahead move

9:11am Friday 4th July 2008

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MANAGER John Hollins has insisted that Weymouth's partnership programme with Julia's House sends out a clear message that the Blue Square Premier outfit is a go-ahead club'.

Terras' chairman Malcolm Curtis unveiled the initiative with the Dorset children's hospice charity at a Press conference at the Wessex Stadium yesterday as he continues his quest to strengthen the club's links with the local community.

The deal sees the charity become the club's new shirt sponsor and it is hoped that the link up will help raise the profile of both entities and attract associate sponsors to become partners of both Julia's House and the Terras.

Hollins, who has welcomed the innovative scheme, said: "We have looked at it in a different way and this link up will help in making the players realise that it is not just a case of turning up here and that is it.

"Instead it shows we are a go-ahead club, a club that they need to put their heart, bodies and souls into for giving them a chance. And there is no way better to display that than in this partnership with a charity that we support.

"It is a hard thing to take if you are in a hospice fighting illness and if we can help that fight and leave our doors open to them than that is fantastic.

"Of course we are also a business and if this partnership can also help attract new investors then surely it will be of benefit to everyone."

Premier League side Aston Villa has undertaken a similar initiative with the Acorns Children's Hospice in the West Midlands.

Curtis said: "Both Ken Wilde and chief executive Gary Calder went up to Aston Villa and they have been very supportive of everything we have done although what we are doing with Julia's House is slightly different.

"We are trying to drive the club back into the community. We want people who have been away or no longer come to see games to come back and we hope this partnership is another step towards helping us achieve that.

"We are a real community club and we are especially passionate about young people and their families, and the way sport enriches people's lives.

"That is why we are delighted to be able to support Julia's House with this approach which works well for both of us.

"We share the same traits of togetherness, spirit and determination and we are really looking forward to working together in our joint efforts to bring real benefits to the local community."

Julia's House development director Mike Bartlett described the decision to link up with the Terras as a no brainer.' He added: "I have the biggest smile on my face this year because this link up is extremely exciting and I would like to thank Weymouth Football Club for their support.

"We are both organisations that rely on support and goodwill from the community and because of that I think we are a natural fit.

"Increased support will make a significant difference to the children we look after all over Dorset and we are looking forward to working alongside the club over the coming season."

The Terras and Julia's House have been closely linked since 2006. The charity runs a local hospice in Corfe Mullen while its community team, which consists of 65 nurses, travel the county providing life-changing support for children and their families, all in their homes.