The under 6 team of Prestatyn Athletic Junior Football Club is heading into the new season full of pride and determination after having been given a helping hand from Wales & West Utilities.

The gas emergency and pipeline service has sponsored the side this year in support of its colleague Marcus O’Brien who volunteers as a team coach on a weekly basis.

The team has received a £300 donation which has allowed them to purchase new kit and training equipment.

Marcus, whose son plays for the team, has worked for Wales & West Utilities as a First Call Operative based out of the company’s Colwyn Bay depot for four years, explains:

As with most youth sports, we rely on volunteers to give their time in helping develop our players. Our team started playing together just last year and all have a thirst for the game.

As a club we’re always looking for ways in which we can make our subs go further and so I was delighted when I found out my employer would support us.

This money will help us a lot – we’ve been able to purchase new kit and equipment so that we can make the most of our training sessions and games.

The under 6 side trains every Friday from 18:00 – 19:00 at Prestatyn Morfa Fields and competes in games on a Sunday.

Marcus continued:

We currently play 4-a-side and have around 10 youngsters join us each week. As the team gets older, we’ll need more players, so I encourage anyone locally to get in touch and come down to a training session.

Support from our players families, our club, and now Wales & West Utilities, is vital so that we can continue to support our local youngsters in pursuing their passion and playing a game they love. On behalf of us all, I’d like to thank everyone for their support.

Wales & West Utilities provided the funding as part of its commitment to support the communities it serves.

Bethan Jones, Head of Human Resources at Wales & West Utilities, said:

Sport is reliant on volunteer coaches like Marcus who give up their time each week and we always look to support their interests outside of work.

We are happy to lend a hand to the under 6’s and wish them every luck for the season!

Wales & West Utilities, the gas emergency and pipeline service, brings energy to 7.5m people across the south west of England and Wales. If you smell gas, or suspect the presence of carbon monoxide, call us on 0800 111 999 straight away, and our engineers will be there to help any time of day or night.