Young volunteers unite to give Pompey academy facilities a refresh

(L-r) Rob Williams (Wickes Waterlooville store manager), Chervonne Rosher (volunteer), Tommy Spencer (volunteer), Pompey player Milan Lalkovic, Ty Symmes (volunteer), Tim Wordly (Wickes Havant store manager) and Connie Glavin (volunteer)

Youngsters united this week to renovate the Portsmouth Football Club Academy facilities in Gosport.

Drawing to a close today, work took place at the Bay House School playing fields, bringing together the efforts of about a dozen volunteers from across the area – aged between 14 and 24.

As part of the project – organised by Wickes and social enterprise Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) – young people got stuck into painting, installing new walls and placing paving slabs at the site, earning a City and Guilds qualification in the process. Those involved also got the chance to meet Pompey winger Milan Lalkovic, who said: ‘It’s fantastic that young members of the community have come together to help give Portsmouth FC Academy training facilities a refresh.’

Volunteer Chervonne Rosher, 14, said: ‘It was really good fun to be involved. The facilities look very smart now.’