(22/06/06)

It appears things are moving in the right direction at the moment with new signings plus a few more to come, upgrade of the training ground and new ticketing system. An overhaul of the club is in progress to find out what works, what doesn't work and what can be put in place to improve things. Communications from the club via email and post have sometimes been a sore point for fans, and Heather Rabbatts has given me an undertaking that this will be looked at during the close season.

With this in mind, we all need to be patient while the changes happen. If you have an urgent enquiry, as always you can send it to me and I will pick it up petergarston@hotmail.com or email questions@millwallplc.com

I am growing ever-more confident with the new "regime" and know we will be going for it big time next season. As always, let's get behind the team, the board and anyone connected with Millwall be it Junior Lions, Lionesses, the Under 9's or any other part of the Millwall family.

I met with Loo Brackpool, Millwall's Community Scheme Director, recently and she showed me around the facilities right next door to The Den. The building really is state-of-the-art, and here Loo explains a bit about what they get up to....

MILLWALL COMMUNITY SCHEME

Hiding in the depths of the Lions Centre, next to The Den, is a highly skilled, experienced team of dedicated workers who - in wind, rain and sunshine - strive to offer the local community the opportunity to play sport, meet people, learn skills and generally have a good time.Millwall Community Scheme (MCS) has a proud tradition of delivering sports activities across Lewisham and Southwark, and was one of the flagship "Football in the Community Schemes" which now has a national network in nearly every Premiership and Football League Club.

MCS is renowned for our work in local schools, its holiday soccer schools and football coaching on housing estates. It thrives on providing kids the chance to get involved in sport by either playing or coaching. However, it does much more than that?

In the last year over 360 people have achieved a coaching qualification through the Scheme - mainly an FA Level 1 but also FA Level 2, Level 1 & 2 Basketball, Speed Agility Quickness and Junior/Community Sports Leaders Awards.

Many of these are young people who participated in the Scheme's coaching sessions, and at the age of 16 are offered the chance to take a coaching course. Up to 20 of these now work for the Scheme as a part-time coach, going back out onto the estates to run their own sessions. The Scheme has also expanded into delivering sports other than football - such as basketball, netball, sport hall athletics, rugby and tennis. Through this coaching, we are now also developing local community clubs - offering kids the chance to receive higher quality coaching and play competitive matches against other clubs - something which has not previously been available for them in the local area. In the last year, you will have realised that a new indoor training centre has been built at the Lions Centre. This is a state-of-the-art facility with third generation astroturf, the £1.46m cost of which was raised by the Scheme.

Used by the Millwall Academy and by the Scheme for its own activities, the facility is the only one of its type in SE London which can be hired by the local community - something else of which the Scheme is extremely proud. Whilst separate from the Club (it is a registered charity with its own Board of Trustees), the Scheme works in close partnership with Millwall FC.However, as a charity and voluntary organisation it is able to apply for grants from organisations such as The Lottery and other charitable trusts in order to fund its activities. We are always looking to extend our activities and visit more locations around the two boroughs, but coaches and equipment cost money!

In the last few years the Scheme has raised around £750,000 a year - so allowing many activities to be made available for nothing to participants. Even the holiday soccer schools are run at a near breakeven basis and cost a lot less than similar schemes run by other London clubs - thereby encouraging as many people as possible to attend. This season we were delighted to be short-listed for the Community Club of the Year Award at the inaugural FourFourTwo Football League Awards. Whilst pipped at the post by Brentford, this was a cracking acknowledgement of our achievements.

We're always keen to receive suggestions as to what else we can do and where we can run and activity. So - give us a call and help us get more people involved in our activities!

The Community Scheme Office can be contacted on 0207 740 0503.