THE CEO of Furness Education Trust has been thanked by Barrow AFC for the creation of a new partnership aimed at benefiting young people.

The scheme, which encourages more young people to get involved with sport, has been credited for its important aims and Simon Laheney was praised for his instrumental work putting the agreement together.

He became the headmaster of the much respected Furness Academy in 2015.

The Trust was proud to announce their new partnership with Barrow AFC Community Trust, to deliver the Furness School Games provision for schools across the peninsula.

Mr Laheney said: “This partnership is already proving to have great benefit for our local area, as we combine the already great work delivered by the SGO (School Games Organiser) programme and the Community Trust to reach more young people through a more robust programme of activity.

“Thanks to this new partnership, we can develop our young people into leaders through the wide variety of opportunities.

“I am pleased we have been able to create something so unique, for the benefit of all young people in our area, both in our trust and outside of it, and I look forward to seeing how this continues to develop”.

He was thanked for his work by Craig Rutherford, manager of Barrow AFC Community Trust and Furness Schools Games Organiser.

Mr Rutherford said: “This opportunity offered a unique and innovative partnership that allows full integration of children from the local area to engage with the school games and Barrow AFC programmes.

“It is our aim to build on the great work that has already been delivered through the SGO programme and by Furness Education Trust, developing the partnership to allow more young people to have exposure to the programme.

"Barrow AFC Community Trust is looking to further develop the provision both they and the school games role offers, by looking to provide free holiday provision for local children, develop funded projects focusing on physical and mental wellbeing, and building on the Olympic legacy, engaging more young people in sport.”