AFC BOURNEMOUTH is on the look out for business partners to encourage sport, safety and respect in the community.

The club’s charitable Community Sports Trust (CST), works with 4000 people each week, from school children to the over 50s, on projects ranging from healthy living to internet safety.

Businesses are being invited to provide sponsorship for one of these projects.

Each of the projects has a Cherries first team player as its ambassador, to act as a role model and deliver its key messages.

Fiona Harwood, of already partnered business Yellow Buses, said: “Partnering with Cherries’ Community Sport Trust has led to all manner of opportunities we didn’t expect.

“We have helped develop a safety course with the trust that we have taken around dozens of local schools.

“A safety message delivered with the help of the club, its players and mascot has so much more impact on the children.

“Both Yellow Buses and the Cherries have instantly recognisable brands in the area and partnering was an obvious decision, but it has worked out better than we could have expected.

“Our community is something to be proud of and we would encourage other businesses to get on board with the Cherries’ Community Sports Trust.”

Other current CST partners include Curtiss-Wright, Goadsby and Beales.

Amy Marks, AFC Bournemouth partnerships executive, said: “The community team does a fantastic job across Bournemouth, Poole and the whole of Dorset and we are encouraging more companies to become part of that.

“AFC Bournemouth is passionate about developing and maintaining strong relationships with all our commercial and community partners and this is an opportunity for local businesses to partner with us and raise their profile, while maximising their corporate social responsibility efforts.”