Charity Champion or Volunteer of the Year and Community Group of the Year nomination – Tom Johnson and The Football Fun Factory

Charity Champion or Volunteer of the Year and Community Group of the Year nomination – Tom Johnson and The Football Fun Factory

The Football Fun Factory may look like a sports coaching organisation but what founder Tom Johnson is really trying to do is give young people life skills.

The 30-year-old, from Stafford, combines being director and head coach of The Football Fun Factory with working as a high school PE teacher.

He and his team work with children aged 18 months to 12 years at venues across Stafford and Cannock, using the medium football coaching to build soft skills such as working within a team, making friends and resilience.

Both Tom and The Football Fun Factory have received more than 20 Your Heroes Awards nominations with Tom nominated as a Charity Champion or Volunteer and The Football Fun Factory put forward for Community Group of the Year.

One parent, Kate Henderson, said: “I perhaps needed this outlet more than my son – moving from Birmingham to Stafford, not knowing anyone, with an only child that craved interaction, with a mother that craved the opposite.

“Tom not only taught my son teamwork, listening, dedication, friendship etc but he also taught me, someone who has at least 10 years on him, perspective and valuable interaction skills.

“I cannot promote Tom enough, from his passion, expertise and the things that can’t be taught; patience, empathy and awesomeness. If my son is ever blessed with an ounce of whatever Tom has, well, what a great human my son will become.”

Tom said: “It’s absolutely wonderful and the kind words are worth their weight in gold. What Kate says underpins all of the values that I’m about. I want to make a real difference to both the children and the parents that support them.

“I’ve always been inspired to work with children, right from when I was young myself. To have been given this nomination makes all the work worthwhile. I’m super grateful.”

Tom’s ambition is to take The Football Fun Factory nationwide.

He added: “I’ve always said, life skills over football skills. Football is the medium of the work we do, but really, it’s about getting children developing physically, socially and for them to acknowledge and use the skills which will prove useful when they go into high school and beyond.

“I want to give the children a purpose and a safe place to learn. It’s important for young people to have adult role models and here we can start to begin to build up that trust and confidence.

“We are in the business of forging relationships. That has spilled over to the parents who have become a community within themselves, making friends and feeling very much a part of what we do.”

“I’d like to get us expanded nationwide, so children can access the services we provide without having to travel too far. No child should have to travel to access a service which could make such a difference.”