On Friday 20th September, McDonald’s Skewen was named the national winner of the prestigious Football Restaurant of the Year Award at the 2024 FAW & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards ceremony, held at the Cardiff St. David’s Hotel.
The FAW & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards recognise and celebrate the tireless and incredible work of grassroots football heroes who make football possible by consistently supporting their communities by going above and beyond. The awards are now in their twentieth year and the team at Skewen McDonald’s joins a long list of inspirational grassroots football heroes who have been recognised by the programme.
The team at Skewen McDonald’s, led by Franchisee Ron Mounsey, has made a significant impact on grassroots football in their community. The restaurant is dedicated to supporting football in their local area and helps three football clubs: Aberdare Town FC, Taylcoppa U6’s and Pontarddulais U5’s.
The restaurant first started supporting Aberdare when Business Manager Chris Dowell began to coach the team following the sudden departure of the team’s previous coach. Since stepping up as the teams new coach, Chris has grown the team from 5 players to 14. Launched new fundraising efforts to grow the club and purchase new kits for the team enabling Aberdare to continue to thrive.
The second club supported by the restaurant is Taylcoppa U6’s. Following the departure of coaching staff, the team was left unable to continue their season before Assistant Manager Craig Bailey, alongside other parents, volunteered their time to coach the team. As a result of the new coaches, the team at Taylcoppa has managed to grow to 18 players, who now play regularly each week.
The third club the restaurant supports is Pontarddulais U5’s. Their support of the club first started when Group Supervisor Steve Tanner founded an Under 5’s team at the club. Despite initial hesitation about the demand for an U5s team, they quickly grew to a squad of 34 children. As the club grew it wasn’t just Steve who stepped up to support the team. To meet the huge new demand for sessions, his 11-year-old son has also offered to coach the kids and help provide even more sessions.
To further develop the team, McDonald’s Skewen Franchisee Ron Mounsey volunteered to sponsor the team, purchasing kits for all children in addition to providing Raffle Prizes for the clubs Halloween and Christmas parties. Since this sponsorship, the team has continued to grow and is currently the largest U5s team in Swansea.
The team at McDonald’s Skewen are an outstanding example of how local restaurants can make a real difference in their communities, fostering a sense of unity and support through their dedication to grassroots football, making them deserving winners of this award.
The Team at McDonald’s Skewen collected their award from Welsh football legend and McDonald’s Fun Football Ambassador [Insert Ambassador] who commented. “My career would not have been possible without volunteers and supporters like those at McDonald’s Skewen, who dedicate their time and effort to nurturing and expanding grassroots football within their community. The Team at McDonald’s Skewen truly embody the lifeblood of the grassroots game. I’m so proud to be here in Cardiff to honour these incredible winners. McDonald’s Skewen truly are a testament to their community and an inspiration to those looking to get involved in the grassroots game. The FAW & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards are a special occasion and a chance to show how grateful we are for the hours of dedication volunteers put into make our game possible.”
Skewen McDonald’s Franchisee Ron Mounsey collected the award commenting: “I’m so proud of all the work our team at our Skewen restaurant have done to support grassroots football in our local community. I would especially like to thank Chris Dowell, Steve Tanner, and Craig Bailey for their tireless efforts in supporting Aberdare Town, Talycopa, and Pontarddulais. We are proud to have played a part in providing these young players in their footballing journey and I am so proud of all our restaurant team for the impact they have had in our local community”
McDonald’s is the longest-standing supporter of grassroots football in the UK, having celebrated Grassroots Heroes at the Grassroots Football Awards for 20 years. In addition to championing local grassroots heroes, McDonald’s Fun Football has provided over 500,000 children aged 5-11 with free football coaching since 2022. The programme is committed to providing 1 million children with access to free football coaching by 2026.
