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Notts County defenders Richard Duffy and Carl Dickinson visited Robin Hood Primary School in Nottingham as part of the Football In The Community-led +Sport Move and Learn Project. The programme, delivered in partnership with The English Football League Trust and Ferrero, is a free school-based educational programme for primary school children. It seeks to encourage physical activity, promote nutritional education and build awareness of the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle among youngsters. In a Q&A session, the school children asked the two players about their favourite foods, drinks and other eating habits,and also got a chance to test the players’ physical skills in a game of dodgeball. “It’s really enjoyable, it’s nice to see the kids with smiles on their faces and enjoying their day," Duffy told the FITC website. “We both have kids the same age so we know what to expect and some of the trickier questions didn’t come as a surprise”. Dickinson added: “Most of these kids like football, so it’s nice that we can get involved and go into schools and talk about our experiences. “Anything that children can learn about earlier is a good thing, this particular project obviously focuses on nutrition, which is great. “In terms of other projects that FITC do, I think people often try to stay away from a lot of touchy subjects like mental health and cancer rehabilitation but the more people talk and know about it, and know what they can do to help, then it’s all for the better." If you would like to find out more about +Sport Move and Learn, contact Zara at FITC on [email protected] or alternatively call 0115 905 5896. Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

As the world’s oldest Football League club, Notts County Football Club really do have an unrivalled history. It’s a fascinating story of great names and good times, dark days and disappointments – and it deserves to be told to and by more people of all ages. This is why Notts County Football in the Community have launched the Heritage Project. Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this important scoping project will develop recommendations to secure the heritage of Notts County for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations. As the oldest football league club in the world, founded in 1862, the club has a rich history, and recent induction into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame further cemented the importance of the club in the history of world football. At present, however, there is no formal programme to manage the physical and other heritage assets connected to Notts, and much of this heritage is not owned or managed by the club, but is in the care of many organisations and individuals that have an interest in the Magpies. The project seeks to answer several important questions: - What historic material does the club own? - What heritage items related to the club do other people and organisations have? - How could the club's heritage be better protected and shared, so more people can enjoy it? To go a long way towards answering these questions, FITC wants YOUR help! FITC is keen to hear from you about: - Your Notts County collection: For example, you might have a collection of match programmes, replica kit, fanzines, scrapbooks, t-shirts, former players’ shirts or boots .... in fact, anything to do with Notts County! And if you’re interested, FITC will happy to give you some free, expert advice about how you might keep your collection so that it lasts as long as possible – and/or put you in touch with other collectors of Notts County heritage items. - Your ideas about how the history of Notts County could be told and shared: For instance, would you like more information and displays around the ground, more on the club website, or events for collectors of NCFC memorabilia? Any ideas are welcome – particularly those that involve supporters and give them the chance to share their stories and memories. Here is how to get in touch: - Start the conversation by sending an email to [email protected]. - If you put ‘Notts County collection’ in the subject line, FITC will send you a simple form that you can use to tell them more about what you have, and what help you might need. - Use this email address to send FITC any suggestions about how the history of Notts County could be shared and told. All ideas are welcome, and they will be happy to discuss them with you. - If you would like to receive an occasional e-newsletter about this project, just send FITC an email with ‘Heritage Newsletter’ in the subject line and your name in the message area. Let's all join in and make Notts County Football Club stand out further in the annals of football history - after all, are we not the Pride of Nottingham? The Heritage Project is in partnership with Nottingham City Council, the EFL Trust, the Professional Footballers' Association, the Premier League and MacMillan Cancer Support. Share your thoughts about the Heritage Project on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County defenders Matt Tootle and Ben Hall visited Dovecote Primary School in Clifton as part of the Football In The Community-delivered Premier League Primary Stars project. During the afternoon, the two answered questions from the Key Stage 2 pupils and got involved in their PE session. The Premier League Primary Stars project uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. As well as engaging children in physical activity and healthy living, PLPS uses the power of the beautiful game to teach core subjects such as Maths, English, PE and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education). Tootle told the FITC site: “I hadn’t done a school visit for a while so it was nice to do it today. I like answering the kids’ questions and just making them happy I suppose. "At that age, they’re just really curious and some are football-mad like I used to be so it’s really nice for them to be able to ask us anything they want to know. “Also when I was a young kid, I got snubbed by a footballer so I always said to myself – if I ever become a footballer, I’ll never snub anyone so I’m trying to be a good role-model now.” Brighton loanee Hall, who was making his first school visit, said: “It was great interacting with the kids and nice to see their faces light up as they saw us. “Some of the questions were tricky but it was really enjoyable. The kids obviously look up to us and it’s a nice way of giving back to the community." Find out more about Notts County FC Football in the Community by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County duo Shaun Brisley and Nicky Hunt paid a visit to Westglade Primary School in Nottingham as part of the Football In The Community-delivered scheme Premier League Primary Stars project. The defenders were enthusiastically quizzed by the school's children about their career in the game, and also joined in a game of handball. The Premier League Primary Stars project uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. As well as engaging children in physical activity and healthy living, PLPS uses the power of the beautiful game to teach core subjects such as Maths, English, PE and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education). Hunt told the FITC website of their visit to Westglade in early December: “The power of football is incomprehensible to young boys and girls at their age. "Myself, Shaun and the boys are happy to put our names to such a great activities that are proving to be really positive. "To see the work FITC are doing with primary school aged children has been brilliant and a real credit to the club and the charity.” Tom Curson, Education Officer and Premier League Primary Stars delivery team member, spoke with pride at how Westglade Primary have benefited from the scheme, saying: “The children I see every week have been a joy to teach. "The feedback myself and FITC have received from both the children and the staff has been phenomenal and even if we play a small part in the development of these children it would all be worth it. "Their numeracy and English have seen huge improvements and we look forward to seeing them again in the New Year.” Find out more about Notts County FC Football in the Community by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Although FC Barcelona have turned it into their motto, the truth is every single football club out there is "more than a club". It's a pillar of the community, it brings together people of all walks of life, it instils pride in an area's culture and heritage, and so much more. Notts County Football Club go a step further by giving back to the community, both local and global, with the help of Notts County FC Football in the Community. A lot of Notts fans may be vaguely aware of FITC but know little more about what they truly do, so Pride of Nottingham will cast the spotlight on them and their work. In 1989, Notts County FC founded the "Notts County FC Community Programme". This was set up by Footballers' Further Education and Vocational Training Scheme (FFE+VTS), which was a welfare scheme operated by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) for its members. The NCFC Community Programme had the following aims: - Encourage more people especially children to play football - Provide training, leading to employment - Promote closer community links with professional football clubs - Encourage more people especially children to watch live professional matches - Maximise the use of facilities at professional football grounds Such was its success that it gained a National Award for Training Programme in 1994 and, six years later, gained charity status, became independent and former a board of trustees to become the Football In The Community charity it is today. With over 35 projects that cover all 20 city wards, FITC have enriched, empowered and encouraged hundreds of thousands of people across Nottingham over the last 28 years, and have been recognised for their great work with multiple awards, including the illustrious "Professional Club Community Programme of the Year" at the 2016 Sport & Recreation Awards. As of 2017 FITC continue to serve the community with the same passion and commitment they were founded with, focusing on 6 key areas of work (as displayed on their badge): - Social Inclusion - Health - Education - Sports Participation - National Citizens Service (NCS) - Fundraising Although working alongside Notts County FC, FITC is an independent charity which raises all its own funding, so it's essential for fans to get behind it and continue the great work they're doing in Nottingham. FITC recently held an event at West Bridgford's Poppy & Pint in which Notts legend Les Bradd talked about his illustrious career and it was enjoyed by all who came. And plenty more events are in the pipeline, such as the Inflatable 5k Nottingham (July 14) the Peak District TrekFest challenge (September 1), Robin Hood Marathon (September 30) and the CEO sleepout (October 11). FITC Media Officer Leighton T James said of working alongside Pride of Nottingham: "I find your articles and content insightful, humorous and strikes a cord with a very passionate and family friendly audience. "The tide is changing in the way football fans engage with the media. "When I was a child I remember visiting Sixfields Stadium, home of Northampton Town and my dad buying 'The Hotel End' fanzine and chucking to himself at the illustrations and articles written by cobblers fans. "Now, that has changed with the rise of social media and fan channels like Arsenal Fan TV. We are very happy to associate ourselves with fan site like PON." We at Pride of Nottingham are delighted to be working alongside Notts County FC Football in the Community and will do our very best to ensure it gets the spotlight it deserves. Find out more about Notts County FC Football in the Community by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County legend and all-time top goalscorer Les Bradd will be discussing his illustrious career at a fundraising event hosted by Football In The Community. The event is on Thursday 7 December at the Poppy and Pint bar in West Bridgford, with its doors opening at 7:30pm for an 8pm start. For £9.90, you will be given a complimentary drink on arrival, with Bradd reminiscing about his career ifrom the beginning all the way to his current role as a club and charity ambassador in a fun and informal evening. There will be an opportunity to get your hands on a signed copy of Bradd's new book, Far Post - A Striker’s Tale of Scoring Goals and Breaking Records, as well as an open Q&A session for all fans to ask him any questions regarding his career, his current roles or perhaps even his starring appearance in a popular CBBC television programme! There will be also be raffle prizes to win on the night. All funds raised will go directly to the FITC charity to help support the many projects, for some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people, that are run throughout Nottinghamshire. To book your tickets, click here to go to the dedicated booking page on the Gigantic site. Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have announced that club record goalscorer Les Bradd will donate £1 from every sale of his forthcoming book to the beneficiaries of Thursday's CEO Sleepout. The legendary Magpies striker began his 11-year stint at Meadow Lane 50 years ago this week following his £1,000 move from Rotherham United. Over the late 60s and throughout the 70s, Bradd thrilled the Black and White Army as he notched up an amazing 125 goals in 398 appearances in the famed Notts shirt. In Far Post: A Striker’s Tale of Scoring Goals and Breaking Records, Bradd takes an in-depth look at his own career and gives an exclusive insight into his relationship with club legends like Jimmy Sirrel, Tony Hateley and Don Masson. And the 69-year-old has confirmed that a cut of each book sale will go towards CEO Sleepout, a charity championed by Football In The Community that will see executives sleep outdoors overnight to raise money in the fight against homelessness and poverty. "To see the effort that everyone at FITC has put into making the sleepout a success has been heart-warming" Les told the official Notts site. "Last year was a fantastic event as business owners across the county met and raised money for the homeless. I knew I wanted to support the event in any way possible. "I hope the sales of my book can in some way support the lives of those most in need within the city." On general sale from Saturday, you can pre-order your copy of Les' book today at lesbraddbook.co.uk or alternatively, you can visit the Meadow Lane club shop. In addition, Les will be signing copies of the book in the club shop on Saturday at the following times: 9.30am-10.15am, 1pm-1.30pm and 5pm-5.30pm. Notts chairman and owner Alan Hardy is taking part in the CEO Sleepout - you can donate to his cause here. Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.