Senrab FC rescued by �4,000 Crossrail donation
Legendary youth football team Senrab FC has been handed a �4,000 survival lifeline by investors backing London’s Crossrail railway.
The donation could prove to be the difference between the club going under and surviving. It currently encompasses 23 teams representing age groups between five and 17,
Founded in 1961 in Stepney, Tower Hamlets, Senrab has gained a reputation for nurturing young talent, with graduates from its youth teams including Jermain Defoe, Ledley King and John Terry, amongst many others.
The donation was made under the Crossrail Community Investment Programme, which requires contractors involved in the programme to support the communities they are working in.
The club has struggled to stay afloat in recent years, with John Terry making an undisclosed donation last year to help prevent its closure.
Club secretary Tony Carroll believes the latest donation from contractor BNK, which is behind the forthcoming Whitechapel Crossrail station, could prove hugeley important in safeguarding its future.
The money has been used by the club to pay for new strips, footballs, as well as other pieces of essential training equipment.
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Mr Carroll said: “This donation provides vital life blood to the club and enables us to buy urgently needed new kit for our players. These have been tough times for Senrab, and we couldn’t survive without the backing of local businesses and projects like Crossrail.”
BNK community relations manager Jade Onashoga praised the role of the team in the East London community.
She said: “Senrab F.C. plays a hugely important role by giving local youngsters in Tower Hamlets a positive outlet for their skills and ambitions, and we are proud to support the club.”
The �14.8bn Crossrail project is due to be completed in 2018, and will run for 73 miles from one end of Greater London to the other.
The development at Whitechapel will include a renovation of the existing underground and overground stations, and is expected to take five years to complete.
