23rd November 2010 

Re: Sponsorship opportunities at Ayr United Football Academy
 
Dear Mr Stevenson,

As one of the sponsorship coordinators of AUFA I wondered if your company would be interested in financially helping some of our young players in the development stage of their careers. 

The Football Academy is continuing to develop as it runs through its fourth full year of competition and marches on into the future. The Academy format is the envy of many clubs as its model is unique in Scottish football by raising its own funding and is therefore not financially dependent on the senior Ayr United Football Club. This has allowed its Directors to build a long term strategy around youth development aided by a strong volunteer led coaching and backroom staff. With this strategy in place, the Academy players are starting to reap the benefits of this structure with all our programmes and teams adhering to and being endorsed by strict SFA and SYFA guidelines.

As the Academy is a charity and a self-financing organisation, in order to sustain the high standards that we aim to achieve, it is vital that we generate as much revenue as possible to support the Talented Young Players Programme. The opportunity now exists for businesses, fans and parents alike to support the development of our most promising young players who will become the Ayr United stars of tomorrow.

Examples of the growing stock of the Academy have never been more visible than last week's Scottish Cup tie between Ayr United and Sunnybank where 5 current and ex Academy players were in the squad of 16 picked by Ayr United manager Brian Reid. Other success examples include ex Academy players now playing at Stranraer, Annan and Rangers under 19's. Also, two of the current 19's squad have recently signed playing contracts with the Ayr United senior squad, joining a handful of others who have already signed.

The Ayr United Football Academy offers a wide range of sponsorship opportunities to support the Talented Young Players Programme, including:

• Principal Youth Development Partner – £5000

• Youth Team Shirt Sponsor – £1000 per team (logo on front of top, photo presentation if requested, profile in local press and on website, free top to display in premises, link to sponsor’s website, profile in Ayr Utd FC Programme).

• Youth Travel Suit Sponsor – £750 per team (logo on travel suit, mention on website, link to sponsor’s website)

• Youth ‘Back of Shirt’ Sponsor – £350 per team (logo on back of top, profile on website and in local press)

• Youth ‘Shorts’ Sponsor – £200 per team (logo on shorts, profile on website)

• Youth Player Sponsor – £75 (logo on website/link to sponsor’s website)

• Youth Match Sponsor – £75 (profile on website)

• Youth Match Ball Sponsor – £45 (profile on website)

• Local tournament sponsorship under the AUFA banner (POA)

All funding received goes towards the coaching, development and education of the players involved within the Academy including 9, 11 and 13 age groups for girls; 14, 15, 16, 17 and 19s age groups for boys.

We also have tie ups with South Ayrshire Council, Reid Kerr College and the NHS which enables us to offer further education and work placements for players should their dream of playing professional football not come to fruition. Therefore, this gives them the opportunity to gain NC, HNC, NQ, HNQ and SVQ certificates at all levels in their desired field of employment whilst still being developed through their football apprenticeship.

At the youth initiative stages of the teams, the players receive sports science classes, goalkeeping sessions and access to physiotherapists and Doctors. We also run primary school programmes, local boys club development programmes, soccer schools, holiday programmes and many many more community programmes all endorsed by the SFA.

I am writing to you because your company in local to us and we are keen to acknowledge and help develop a partnership with businesses in the Ayr/Ayrshire area and as such, a partnership could benefit both parties. 



What this means for you; As well as the knowledge that you are helping develop and educate the youth footballers involved, you personally will could receive recognition on our website, social media sites, online news outlets, Ayr United Match day programme as well as press coverage obviously depending on the level of sponsorship taken. This is an excellent opportunity for your company to get its name out and about to the masses.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If you interested in any of the opportunities listed above, please email back or call me on 07969 231642 to arrange a convenient time to discuss the details of a proposed partnership or if you have any queries.

Yours sincerely,

Marc Roseblade
Sponsorship Co-ordinator 
AUFA