Swansea City accolade for Pembrokeshire stalwart that goes the 'extra mile'

Tindle News

Swansea City AFC Foundation has named Pembrokeshire’s Jamie Bessant as its Premier League ‘Community Captain’ for the 2024-25 campaign. Jamie, who has been involved with Kilgetty AFC as a player and coach down the years, is the Police and Crime Commissioner coordinator for Swansea City Foundation, working closely with Dyfed-Powys police across the Premier League Kicks sessions that he runs. Jamie leads sessions in Seaside (Llanelli), Aberystwyth, Newtown, and Ammanford every week, clocking up almost 500 miles to deliver free football to communities that may not otherwise have access. Throughout his time with the Foundation, Jamie has grown relationships with partner organisations and participants, helping to develop the impact of Premier League Kicks across these areas, and inspire the young people he supports down a number of different positive pathways. Club ambassador Lee Trundle presented the award to Jamie at the Swansea.com Stadium, handing him the Community Captain trophy, armband, pennant, and bespoke More Than A Game shirt. Jamie was surprised to receive the award and expressed his pride in representing Swansea City across Wales. “I’m really really shocked, I wasn’t expecting it at all, so I’m really taken aback,” he told swanseacity.com “Everyone in our staff does a phenomenal job, they are out there in the community in all weathers and all conditions. “It’s a major honour to represent the Swans, the club has a major following all across the local area, so it really is a privilege to represent the Foundation. “To receive the award from Lee Trundle was a major honour, as well.” Tom Williams, head of programmes at Swansea City AFC Foundation, was delighted to be able to recognise the work Jamie does and praised his commitment and passion, stating: “He goes the extra mile to create a supportive environment for the young people who attend the sessions.” ©Swanseacity.com

Transcript

00:00I'm Jamie Besant, I've been working for the Foundation for a number of years delivering

00:03on our Premier League Kicks programme. We're really excited to be presenting the award

00:08yesterday at the stadium here with club ambassador Lee Trundle presenting the plaque along with

00:12the Man of the Match trophy and the pendant.

00:15Yeah, really, really shocked to be fair. I was not expecting it at all. So yeah, it's

00:21officially taken back. There's a lot of deserved winners within our staff. Everyone does a

00:26phenomenal job and everyone's out there in the communities in all weathers and all conditions

00:31and to receive the award from Lee as well is a major honour as well.

00:35I know if you'd asked him, he'd say that he enjoys doing it. I know people from the outside

00:40will look at it and probably say it's a lot of work, he puts a lot of effort in, but for

00:44someone like Jamie to go and put them sessions on, he'd find that very rewarding and it's

00:49nice to show him our appreciation for what he does.

00:53My regular week will include doing kick sessions in Seaside, Aberystwyth, Newtown, Amerford.

01:02I've also done the Pembroke kick session previously in Coinendie and things like that then as

01:08well so it's obviously part of the PCC funding as well as the Premier League funding as well.

01:12It's quite an unusual role in that a lot of these sessions are quite far away from our

01:16base. So Jamie travels over 500 miles a week, but Jamie's really passionate about the power

01:22of kicks and programmes like this and the impact it can have on young people. Jamie

01:26develops amazing relationships and rapport with the young people he works with. He has

01:30a real appreciation for kicks and its impact. I think he really understands the young people

01:36he works with. He goes the extra mile to create an environment, a supportive environment for

01:41the young people who attend. So Jamie's a real positive force in these young people's lives.

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