Funds raised will enable another 180 children with autism and other neurodiverse conditions play weekly football in our Team United programme.

For young people with autism, stepping onto a football pitch can feel like entering a world that’s not designed for them. Team United’s programmes help these young people to learn more than just the game – they find confidence, friendships, and a sense of belonging on and off the pitch.

Football was always my first passion in life, before the family life started. Having kids, you naturally want them to follow their Dad’s love of the game, play it and develop doing so as part of a team. When Sonny was diagnosed with Autism, it brought about challenges as a parent and more so for him. He struggled with noise, large crowds, being apart from his family and was picked on at a mainstream football club for “being different” when trying to simply kick a ball.

Having seen the way that the coaches and mentors at Team United create and support a unique environment for children with neurodiverse conditions to thrive in football, it was an easy decision to offer support in raising funds, so they can continue to support a great cause and have other children, like Sonny, develop in a comfortable manner and feel part of a wider team and being able to attend events / occasions that we all take for granted. Each parent and child’s story is different but football should be an environment for every child to feel comfortable in - and Team United make that happen! This photo is very much Sonny outside of his comfort zone but a photo that makes Zoe & I proud.