"Many of the families in our community are low income families, and having free soccer games run by Eastern Suburbs Football Club gives our community the opportunity to experience playing a sport without the stress and pressures of paying for it. It also allowed families to engage with each other as some of them were new to the area. It is a great initiative that the football club has done and hope that with funding they will continue to offer it again this season"

“The Hoka O Tamaki Community Football Programme engaged up to 40 of our students and their whanau from different ethnic groups - Maori, Pacific Island, Middle Eastern, Burmese, Other Asian, European and Spanish communities on an early Saturday morning. It was so pleasing to see the presence of a football club in the neigbourhood. The programme introduced children to a new sporting code which they have enjoyed. We now see an increase in boys in particular who prefer to play football over other codes during the school break times. They set up their own games, sort themselves into teams, self-ref and play really well together. This is just a continuation of what they had learned on Saturday mornings and introducing more children to the game."

“Hoka O Tamaki Community Football Programme has been a great initiative in our local area. The opportunity for our tamariki to engage with an organised Football Club as given the pathway to gain the skills and attitudes required to be not only successful in football but also as members of the community. The majority of our community don't have the resources to be able to take part in organised sport. The 2023 programme was very beneficial to all who took part. The passion and commitment shown proved that by providing something local and free would give our tamariki the chance to play in a local club and the benefits were incredible. Not only did they learn to become dedicated and committed to the club but we noticed improved attendance, attitide and engagement while at school. I fully support this initiative as I have seen first hand the benefits it provides our community.”