Welcome back to Adams Park, Chairboys fans! Before we begin our update, can we just encourage you to look to the opposite page. We are on the lookout for Chairboys fans who want to learn how to make healthier lifestyle choices as they tackle their weight through our completely free 12-week course which starts on 13th October 2021. . If this is you, or someone you know could benefit from this course, please do get in touch with our Head of Health, Simon Wears, at simon.wears@wwfc.com.
Right, on with the show, and in March, towards the end of the lockdown, the WWSET Education Team launched their very first writing competition. Thanks to the generosity of John Vipond of Chiltern Historics and friends Luke Saunders and Hans Cook, pupils from our Future Goals Schools were given the chance to win a framed signed shirt from the promotion-winning season as worn by former Chairboys defender, Darius Charles.
Speaking at the launch, John said, “As a fan and player sponsor it is great we are able to work with WWSET to offer the young people the chance to win Darius’ shirt. I have faced many challenges in my life and my passion for cycling has helped me immensely through the tough times. Luke, Hans and I want young people to recognise their challenges and how they overcome them. We want to see their passion in their writing, we are all looking forward to reading what they have to say.”
Using Darius as their inspiration, pupils were asked to construct a persuasive letter telling him about their passion in life, demonstrating how it has helped during the lockdown and what it would mean to win the prize. Over fifty entries were received from Year Five and Year Six pupils at Oakridge School and Carrington Junior School, making it a very difficult task for our judging panel consisting of Darius, John and representatives from the Club, Supporters Trust and WWSET.
All entries were judged for their engaging content, along with the appropriate use of grammar and style. From the original entries, a shortlist of ten was drawn up for the judging panel.
After the judging, Pete Lerner, WWSET trustee and judge, commented, “What a lovely hour I have just spent reading the entries! It’s so unfair to have to choose the winners!” But the winners were chosen! All the entrants received WWSET wristbands, with the shortlisted entrants winning WWFC shirts and a pair of tickets to the WWFC v Morecambe game on October 2nd.
A special prize was awarded to Abdullah from Oakridge School in High Wycombe, who will be the ball mascot for today’s game. “For someone who has gone through all that Abdullah has since coming to England and to write this in a second language is a brilliant effort. You should be very proud, Abdullah – and certainly inspired me!”
The top prize also went to a pupil of Oakridge School. Abdul Saleem’s letter about drawing “touched me in a way, and I feel it shows a great deal of reflection and growth from Abdul Saleem during the lockdown, especially for someone at such a young age. The fact that he mentions how his passion for drawing has come about as a response to lockdown is brilliant and shows that there will be opportunities and positives in all situations if you look for them. He uses great emotive language to speak about how drawing helps mindset as well as creativity. A great letter and I would love the chance to see some more of his drawings one day!”
We would like to thank John Vipond for donating the superb prizes and look forward to seeing all our prize winners at the game on October 2nd. A new writing competition will be launched during the next academic year. Watch this space for more details.
Aside from our writing competitions, we would also like to draw your attention to our October Half Term Soccer Schools, which are now taking entrants. Sign up today on our website. Enjoy today’s game, here’s hoping for another three points!
