A £2,000 DONATION is helping ensure a grassroots football team is hitting the back of the net.

Longniddry Villa’s 2013s team has been chosen as a Community Champion by Persimmon Homes East Scotland.

The football club, which was formed more than 25 years ago, aims to make grassroots football accessible to as many children as possible.

They keep their costs affordable to provide opportunities for children to develop physically and mentally, forming life-long friendships in the process.

The £2,000 donation from Persimmon will go towards new kits for the club’s 2013 team, which is planning on participating in an upcoming football festival.

Mark King, Longniddry Villa 2013s head coach, was delighted with the donation.

He said: “Having come through a pandemic and experienced the cost-of-living crisis, the generosity and support from Persimmon Homes could not have come at a better time.

“On behalf of Team Villa, I’d like to thank Persimmon for supporting grassroots football and our local community.”

The team received the £2,000 donation through Persimmon’s Community Champions initiative, which supports charities and good causes in the areas the company operates in. The programme has seen more than £350,000 donated across Scotland in the last five years.

Neil Parry, Persimmon Homes East Scotland managing director, said: “We are delighted to support Longniddry Villa with this donation and I hope it will go a long way to helping them with the cost of their new kits.

“At Persimmon, we are committed to leaving a positive lasting legacy in the areas where we operate, and supporting clubs like Longniddry Villa – which play a crucial role in the local community – is a big part of that.”