Arbroath FC Community Trust chairman Barry Valentine will take on the 240-mile bp Coast 2 Coast charity cycle to raise funds for the charity, which supports young people in Arbroath. The charity has been selected as one of four beneficiaries of the cycle, along with The Archie Foundation, Instant Neighbour, and Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust. Valentine, who is also a well superintendent for bp, joined Arbroath FC Community Trust in July 2024 after years away from Arbroath, said the role gave him the chance to reconnect with the town and give something back.

What happened?

Valentine will cycle 240 miles across Scotland as part of the bp Coast 2 Coast charity cycle, raising funds for Arbroath FC Community Trust. The charity supports young people in Arbroath and has been selected as one of four beneficiaries of the cycle.

Why it matters for Arbroath

The charity's work is deeply personal for Valentine, who says one in four children in Scotland live in poverty, but in some areas of Arbroath that rises to one in two. The funding will help the Trust expand vital programmes such as Extra Time, which is currently funded by the Scottish Football Association.

What comes next?

Valentine will take on the ride for the fifth time and will also take on Chase the Sun, a 24-hour charity run. The charity's work is focused on improving outcomes for families, particularly those on low incomes, by offering increased accessibility to organised children's activities, supervised sport and play activities, often focussed on football.

Arbroath FC Community Trust currently supports 12 children at Hayshead Primary School in Arbroath, but the Trust would like to extend its support to more children across the region. Hayshead Primary School head teacher, Scott Haxton, explained the impact of support provided by the Trust: "It has been a very successful partnership this year. We have seen positive impacts on children's readiness to learn, friendship, cooperation and enthusiasm. It has also been really encouraging to see the relationships the children have develop with the team from the Community Trust and the enjoyment they have had from working with them."

Next fixture

Arbroath FC's next fixture is vs Ayr Utd (away, 2027-01-09) (5th in the table).