On Wednesday 16 October students and staff at EKC Folkestone College gathered for an exciting charity penalty shootout, all in the name of raising funds for the Lighthouse Club.
The event, hosted by the Construction and Built Environment department and Student Experience Officer, Darren Beale, saw students donating £3 to take their best shot against professional goalkeeper, Joe Coleman, from Hythe Town Football Club in a penalty shootout challenge.
Participants lined up for their chance to score, with all proceeds going to the Lighthouse Club, which provides emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing support to construction workers and their families. Students enjoyed a mix of friendly competition, and the opportunity to contribute to a worthy cause. Students had to score three consecutive goals, with only two students qualifying for the final.
Employability student, Fred and Level 2 Bricklaying student, James went head-to-head in the final penalty shootout, both getting a perfect score until the final round, which saw Fred miss his final shot. James walked away with not only a bespoke trophy but also a £10 shopping voucher. We caught up with our lucky winner afterwards who said: “I got a 100% goal conversion – that’s not bad, is it?
“It’s been a fun activity to get everyone together. We paid a small amount to join in and have fun, but we were also helping another cause at the same time, so it’s benefitted everyone.”
The event proved to be a thrilling morning for the EKC Folkestone College campus, with cheers, groans, and lots of encouragement as players took their turns to challenge Joe. The professional who made his debut at Hythe Town FC in 2022, put on a spectacular display of skill, saving numerous shots. After the event, he said, “When I was asked to get involved, I couldn’t resist. It’s all for charity so I figured I’d come down and help out.
“It’s been a really good morning, we had lots of volunteers which meant some great charity donations, all going to a great charity that will help a lot of people.”
Event organiser, Heather Williams, Industry Liaison Officer for the department, expressed her pride in the students’ enthusiasm for the event, commenting: “Lighthouse Club provided a remote talk with our T level students last year, so I decided I’d like to repay the favour by raising some funds for them. It’s a great charity and one that can really resonate with our Construction as they progress into the industry.
Whilst today’s event was organised for our department, it’s been lovely to see some other curriculum areas getting involved as well. It’s been nice to get the students involved and it’s great to see them come together to raise money for such a great cause. After today’s success I’m hoping to get more, similar events organised in the future.”
With a successful turnout and £150 raised for a worthy cause, the charity penalty shootout was a memorable event for everyone involved, with hopes that future events can continue to have a positive impact on the community.