Swansea City AFC Foundation volunteers gain insight behind the scenes at Fairwood
Volunteers from Swansea City AFC Foundation’s Premier League Kicks programme have gained an insight into the different career pathways in football by going behind the scenes at Swansea City’s First Team training ground.
Swansea City first-team kit managers Michael Eames and Shaun Baggridge welcomed the volunteers to Fairwood, where they gave them a tour of the facilities before having a go at some of their daily tasks.
Caretaker head coach Alan Sheehan also took the time to speak to the Foundation’s volunteers, explaining the importance of every employee in the building and how they can help the players and coaching staff.
Swansea City AFC Foundation aim to inspire their volunteers by opening doors to different opportunities, with this unique experience enhancing participants knowledge of the wide range of jobs available in sport.
“They’ve each printed a shirt with Zan Vipotnik’s name on the back,” said Eames.
“They have cleaned boots with Shaun and been with Emma to do some laundry, and we’ve all explained to them what we do on a daily basis.
“There’s a lot of things that go into football games which people don’t see. We had a conversation with the head coach today, and he explained how all the different departments and people who have come from the community help him.
“Myself and Shaun come from Swansea and were in the same position as these guys around 20 years ago, and it’s an experience that not everyone can have so it’s great to show them the other side of football.”
Jesse Ormond began volunteering for the Foundation in September 2023, having initially been a participant at the Premier League Kicks sessions in Pembroke, and admitted that he had never realised how many different roles there are within a football club.
“There’s so many layers to it that I had never thought about. It’s a lot of work but it’s really cool,” added Ormond.
“The shirt printing was fun and I think these facilities are amazing. We went into the players’ changing area and the hydro part with the pool, it just keeps going and going, which has been really interesting to see.”