Chesterfield-based independent financial advisers Harvest Associates have supported the Spireites academy by donating a car which is being used by academy staff.
Grant Hickton of Harvest Associates explained why he was keen to support the academy in this way.
He said: “I think it is important for the coaches to get out and about, to see the other coaches and teams play. They only had a minibus, so they just needed something a bit smaller. I thought a car was something that could help them out a bit.
“The academy is a good foundation for the club going forward and I think it is important to back the kids and hopefully see some of them progress to the first team.
“Having that foundation of young, local players coming through is always nice to see on a Saturday afternoon. Watching someone like Laurence Maguire appearing in the first team, knowing that they have come through a solid foundation over a number of years in the academy, is very rewarding.”
Academy manager Neil Cluxton said: “Grant and his family are season ticket holders at the club and this generous donation of transport for the academy staff to use will help us to get out and scout players.
Cluxton explains that support from the local business community is vitally important. “Without them, we’d find it tough to provide the environment that we are currently providing for our young players due to the lack of funding that we used to get from the Football League,” he said.
“We’re actually supplying more football than we’ve ever done, but we need funds to come in to provide the quality that we are wanting to do.
“We want to be working partners so we’ll include them as much as we can. We get all the sponsors down here three or four times a year to have a bit of a social event and watch the first-team matches.”
