New pitches and home ground for Tankerton FC

Tankerton FC 

More Than a Football Club

Our Project

Tankerton Football Club is reaching a new and exciting period in its short history, developing a fantastic new ground with 8 pitches, a nature reserve and associated facilities.

As we look to the future for our 300+ players we are in desperate need of new pitches. Our new site on the bends between Whitstable and Herne Bay is the perfect place for this, but we cannot do so without your help! 

We need you to help us fund new pitches so the boys and girls of Tankerton and the surrounding areas can have a sustainable place to play! Not only will we be having football pitches on the development but also a nature reserve where local schools can come and visit, engage in activities like pond dipping and enjoy the facilities we want to build.

The club has already developed a 9v9 pitch and started the nature reserve with funding from Sport England and Veolia but with their current ground being developed they now need to develop a further 7 pitches to provide a new home for the whole club, as well as continuing to enhance the nature reserve.

The new ground is something to be utilised by the community as a whole not just the Football Club, there are many different opportunities for people with this development, young and old.

But we are in need of donations to help us develop this exciting project and provide the local children with a site where they can have fun and engage in activities of all kinds! So please donate what you can and help us bring the huge potential of this project forward.

Who we are

Tankerton Football Club is really so much more than just a football club:
It is a registered charity, an inclusive, community orientated, and young person focussed club. It looks beyond playing to help our players realise there is a pathway for them through football into employment, helping them grow as people and realising their potential off the pitch.

Two of our former Youth Council leaders are currently in full-time work for Kent FA’s Football Development team. Another former player and Youth Council member is currently working in the social media department at Southampton Football Club. Another is working for the National FA at Wembley, another with Colchester United in EFL Div 2. Several of our current and former young coaches and players are studying sport or football related degrees along with such things as media and business at university.

The Nature Reserve is helping local residents and schools to enjoy the outdoors, learn about wildlife and take part in green exercise as well as enhancing and protecting the local habitat. 

Our Impact in the community

Tankerton Football Club offer a range of activities including;

• Inclusive football - 20+ teams and over 300+ players including:
  • Youth team through to adult (male and female) and veterans football.
  • Wildcats - Girls only football centre for 5-11 year olds.
  • Adult & Youth Pan Disability teams and a deaf team. 
  • Covering 6 leagues County wide playing geographically from Charlton to Ramsgate to New Romney
• Youth Council – giving youth a voice in how we are run and developing other skillsets
• Community outreach and engagement 
• Education - Providing qualifications opportunities for coaching and refereeing and Degree mentoring opportunities
• Volunteering Opportunities
• Social activities and events 

The effects of Covid 19

Prior to Covid-19 the club would also run an active social calendar throughout the year, delivering a variety of events including golf days, quiz nights and fun days which would help bring the local community together and raise vital funds for the club’s ambitions to develop the rest of its new ground. 

The club keep in contact with teams during the pandemic providing online skills challenges and encouraged the teams to show their support for the NHS.

As soon as outdoor activity could take place the club was able to restart in person sessions and have seen a huge demand for outdoor activity. They are proud to have developed a second pan-disability team and to be delivering a summer soccer school free for children entitled to free school meals. They have also had over 40 volunteers sign up to support and maintain the Nature Reserve area.

However having to put all the social and fundraising events on hold for the last two years have meant the club are looking to Crowdfunder to raise the money needed to help the club to develop their facilities further. 

Want to know more?

Listen to Tankerton Trustee Chairman talking to Pat Marsh on BBC Radio Kent about Tankerton FC's Crowdfunding Campaign here

With help from local partners, the FA, Football Foundation, Sport England, Veolia, and Canterbury City Council we are nearly there – we just need your help now to raise the rest.