Town and the ITFC Charitable Trust are severing their link, with the Trust having moved out of Portman Road and been renamed Inspire Suffolk — Education and Sports Charity. It will now concentrate on multi-sports based at the Ipswich Academy, formerly Holywells School, site in Lindbergh Road.
Inspire Suffolk chief executive, Terry Baxter, previously Town’s communications director, outlined the reasons behind the parting of the ways: "This has come at a good time for us as a charity as we needed to expand and it allows us now to build on the work we do in the community and allows us the flexibility to reach out and co-ordinate with more sporting groups and organisations, strengthening our position as providers of support for those young people in Suffolk who need help.
"We have enjoyed a positive working relationship with the Club during 10 years as a charity and many more, of course, as the community department of the Club but with ITFC focusing on the Academy development of young people in Suffolk, the time is right to see the two organisations split and we wish the Club well.
"We are continuing our commitment to help inspire, motivate and educate young people using many sports including football at our new facility and at centres across the county.”
Earlier in the season the Trust’s Player Development Centres, which had been based at Portman Road, Bury and previously at a number of other venues, closed at short notice.
As TWTD reported at the time, the club will be running similar schemes from January 2014. The invitation-only Advanced Coaching Programme will be an extensive programme in which players will be closely monitored by Academy coaches. Those who show potential will be invited to attend the Academy Development Centres.
Town joint-managing director, Ian Milne, said: "With our commitment to producing homegrown talent through our Academy, we want to take a leading role in the area at grassroots level and that’s why we are introducing the Advanced Coaching Programme.
"With that in mind and the Trust’s decision to move into multi-sports, it’s a natural progression to go our separate ways.
"On behalf of the Football Club I’d like to thank Terry and his team for their work over many years and wish them every success at Inspire Suffolk.
"As well as working on youth development from grassroots up, the Club will, of course, continue to actively support local charities.
"Our players took part in more than 430 hours of charity and community events last season and we’re hoping to beat that this year.” Alasdair Ross, chair of Ipswich Town Ist, the Supporters Trust, said his organisation was sad to see the link between the Club and the Charitable Trust come to an end. "Ipswich Town has a proud history of association with its local community, and the ITFC Charitable Trust had been doing great things to keep this going over recent years,” he said. "We’re disappointed that the connection between the Football Club and the Charitable Trust has been broken, and would like the Football Club to tell supporters what its plans are for community activities in the future, and what plans there are for the site on the Portman Road practice pitch that the Charitable Trust previously occupied.” Town will announce further details about the Advanced Coaching Programme soon with courses set to be run in Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds from the New Year until the end of the season. All 303 players who were registered on the Trust’s Player Development Centre courses will be invited to take part, with free taster sessions held in December.What to read next:
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