The Vale Academy has been successful in a bid through the EFL and the Erasmus project to obtain funding to take the Youth Team to Madrid for 2 weeks in July this year
The trip will provide the opportunity for the players to take part in a tournament with teams from other European countries and at the same time benefit from a wide range of cultural experiences during their stay.
The Erasmus project provides EU finance to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe, with the aim of contributing towards the strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion.
Academies from numerous clubs applied for funding through this scheme and the Vale is one of only 4 in the North of England along with Blackburn, Wigan and Fleetwood that were successful.
Chris Taylor is the Head of Education and Welfare at the Academy and has been instrumental in securing the funding for this venture.
“This will be a wonderful opportunity for the Youth team boys. An extended stay in a foreign country is a great chance for them to experience a completely different environment and different culture." He said.
“They have the chance to take part in a competitive tournament and be provided with structured, educational visits as part of the trip.”
Academy Manager Sevvy Aslam is grateful to Chris for the work he has done in securing the funding to make the trip possible.
He added: “The fact that only 4 clubs in our area have been successful with their bids demonstrates the quality of the submission made by Chris.
“We feel confident that the boys will benefit from all aspects of this trip.It’s more than just an opportunity for the boys to play in a tournament against a range of opposition from European countries, it is a life enhancing, educational experience for them.”
The boys will be accompanied by Academy coaches throughout and on return the Club has to provide a detailed report to the EFL concerning the outcomes of the visit.