Crossrail donation protects grassroots football team

A £4,000 donation from Crossrail has helped protect a grassroots youth football team which was threatened with closure.

Premier League stars to come through the Tower Hamlets-based Senrab F.C. have included John Terry, Sol Campbell, Ledley King and Jermaine Defoe.

A combination of spiralling costs and a lack of funding left the club’s survival in doubt.

Crossrail contractor BAM Nuttal/Kier (BNK), who is carrying out piling works for the new Crossrail Whitechapel station, has made the donation as part of the Crossrail Community Investment Programme, which requires contractors delivering Crossrail works to support the communities in which they are working.

The donation has been used to pay for new strips, footballs and other essential training kit, and will be part of a wider package of community investment by BNK.

Founded in 1961, the club now comprises of 23 teams, with players ranging between the ages of five and 17.

Senrab F.C. club secretary Tony Carroll said: “This donation provides vital life blood to the club and enables us to buy urgently needed new kit for our players.  These have been tough times for Senrab, and we couldn’t survive without the backing of local businesses and projects like Crossrail.”

Crossrail’s project manager for Whitechapel, John McGrath, said: “Crossrail will be working at Whitechapel for the next five years, and is committed to playing a responsible part in the life of the community.

“Our Community Investment Programme will leave a legacy far beyond the life of the construction works, and help set the standard for future projects.”