FOOTBALL-mad youngsters are "lovin' it" after they received a donation from a local fast food restaurant owner,

Simon Toft, who owns three McDonald’s outlets in Radcliffe, Whitefield and Pilsworth, has renewed his support of Radcliffe Borough Junior Football Club as part of the company's Community Football Programme.

He has handed over a new training kit and footballs to boost their weekly sessions.

Mr Toft, a keen supporter of community football, said: "Radcliffe Borough JFC are a fantastic example of a well-run club; their team of volunteers and coaches are incredibly committed to providing opportunities for local youngsters to play on a weekly basis.

"Our association with them has been in place for a number of years now and we are delighted to continue our support by providing new kit and training equipment."

The club's senior coach, Steve Cockerill, said: "We regularly have over 40 children aged four to six attend training with the junior development section and McDonald’s in Radcliffe has supported us in a number of ways over the past few years.

"This year I spoke with Simon and Phil Watts, the restaurant manager at Radcliffe, and in addition to the donation of the kits, they kindly agreed to supply training footballs for each child. This makes it easier for the coaches, who are all volunteers, to manage the training activities and much more enjoyable for all the youngsters taking part."

McDonald’s has been a community partner with The Football Association for 13 years and the recently renewed four-year programme focuses on supporting accredited grassroots clubs and their volunteers to help raise the standards of football across England.

World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst, McDonald’s Director of Football, said: "It is fantastic to see that Radcliffe Borough JFC are investing in girls football, it is the support of franchisees like Simon Toft that ensures clubs can continue to provide more football opportunities to their local community."

Sessions run every Monday evening at Close Park from 6pm to 7pm for children of all abilities. Anyone interested in joining should can call 07771 165001.