Maldon Nub News aims to be supportive to EVERY element of the community from business and shops to people and charities and clubs and sports organisations.

Everyone is finding it tough at the moment and wants life to get back to normal.

We will be profiling some of these local businesses and groups regularly over coming weeks in a feature called UP CLOSE IN MALDON in the hope that we can be a supportive springboard for your full return to business as usual.

This week we talk to Roy Warner, Chairman Maldon and Tiptree Youth Football Club. During an in-depth Q and A session Roy reveals why he took on the role as well as his passion for bringing football to the community's children - and his gratitude for the support of their parents during the current crisis.

CHAIRMAN of Maldon and Tiptree Youth Football Club Roy Warner is clear on his reasons for taking up the challenge of the role around a year ago.

Roy, 49, says: "The club has given so much to our sons and I wanted to put something back in. It was as simple as that."

Roy's wife, Liz, was already treasurer for the youth section and as sons Matthew, now 18, and Adam,15, grew older Roy decided to help out at the club. He became more involved with organising and training for the junior teams and the Kids Club, which Matthew helps with and is for four to six-year-olds.

Roy's passion for expanding take-up of the sport by youngsters is clear and within a short time of taking on the challenge increased the Clubs profile online and organised new signage around their pitches.

There have already been rewards for the hard-work put in by everyone connected to the Club with two under-seven teams and Roy has ambitions to see a third team in place for this age group by Christmas.

"I want to grow the club," he explains.

He is also keen to help John Ilett, the man who is the youth section club secretary and child welfare officer, grow the Kids Club he has run for 15 years.

But it has been a challenging time since he took up the role. When the pandemic hit and lockdown followed, the plans the club had been working so hard on had to be put on hold.

Roy says: "It was gutting for the club as we had started to put together our tournament plans, which were really well-supported by other clubs.

"It was so exciting for the kids who were really looking forward to playing and it would have been a great fundraiser, too. It was all so very disappointing."

Keen to keep the younger children going with physical activity and ensure they carried on feeling connected to the club, Roy sent out details of various ball skills they could practice on their own in lockdown.

"I also used to send out quizzes, colouring in and any other football activity I could think of to help parents entertain their children at the weekends and during half-term," Roy tells Maldon Nub News.

Then when the chance came to get the youngsters back to the club, Roy was overjoyed at the response.

He says: "When we re-opened the Kids' Club, we stood there on a Saturday morning wondering if it would be just us. Then 12 turned up at the first session, including eight new recruits. It was amazing.

"It's been so important for the children to get back to playing again as it means so much to them."

And Roy has been especially vigilant on making sure all Covid-19 safety measures are in place, constantly instructing and informing the coaches of what needs to be done to help keep everyone safe. He is hopeful that the new pandemic rules announced this week, restricting group sizes to six,

will not affect the club due to its organised sports status.

He also praises the parents who give up their time to make sure their sons and daughters get to enjoy practising and playing the sport they love – and he's determined to reach out to as many as possible, hoping that children from the new housing going up around the area of the club's home in Park Drive, Maldon, find their way to play football at Maldon & Tiptree Youth FC.

Roy's hopes for the youth section's future are as straightforward as his reasons for taking up the role:

"I want to offer football to as many of the area's children as I can."

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Kids Club or youth section

groups can contact Roy Warner on 07921 368955 or John Ilett on 07973 676636.