Kent footballers continue to benefit from the support of Merit Group, the Kent-based, family-owned business that sponsors the Kent County Youth Cup competitions and Kent FA Business Sixes Cup.

“Merit Group is a family business at heart - we've got a bit bigger these days, but ultimately those same values are still there and giving back to the community is important to us.”

Those are the words of Mike Newton, Director at Merit Group, who has witnessed first-hand the positive impact football can have on young players in Kent, and the game’s power to bring the business community together and foster community spirit.

“Lots of members of our company like and play football, or their children are involved, so, for us, supporting local football is a good way for us to give back and get involved in something we’re all very keen on,” Mike explained.

“I’ve played sport all my life and it really helps with teamwork; you can learn a lot about a person from the way they are out on the field, through their determination and enthusiasm, and the work ethic that’s ingrained in children through sport will often see them progress well in the workplace when they’re older.”

Merit Group was founded three decades ago by Roy Ashford, who started the business in his back garden and gradually grew it to occupy a 400,000-square-feet warehouse and headquarters in Rochester.

The company is still very much a family business, with many of Roy’s relatives holding positions, and it now provides a range of services across south-east England and beyond, including office installations, residential and commercial building services, insulation supplies, professional and electrical services and glazing solutions.

Mike finds attending the youth cup finals, shaking the hands of the finalists and witnessing what the experience of playing at some of Kent’s finest football stadiums means to the players involved is incredibly rewarding.

He has also seen the game evolve over the past few years of Merit Group’s involvement, with wider female participation and standards getting higher.

This season, 528 teams have entered Kent FA Youth County Cups across 12 competitions, which is an increase of almost 50 on last season.

Entries into the girls’ cups continue to grow, with the number of participating teams doubling over the past two seasons.

The most significant increase has been in the Under-13s Boys’ Plate, which has reached a capacity of 64 teams, and this is closely followed by the Under-16s and Under-18s Boys’ Cups, which have both had more than 60 teams take part.

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“You can see the development year on year, especially in those teams that move up and get to the finals again,” Mike continued.

“You see how much better they are getting, which is great to see, especially as most of the people involved in those teams are parents or volunteers.

“The women's game has progressed massively over the past few years.

“I think the Lionesses’ success has had a huge impact on that and there’s now much more women’s football on television, so young girls have some fantastic idols to inspire them and look up to as they progress.”

Merit Group also sponsors the Kent Business Sixes Cup - a competition Mike has played in himself as part of his company’s team.

“It’s a good opportunity to spend time with other partners, businesses and everybody who’s involved with Kent FA, as well as a good chance for our employees to get out of the office and play together.”

Merit Group’s sponsorship, which was renewed for the 2024/25 season last summer, will help to provide an enhanced cup final experience for youth players, spectators and match officials over the coming weeks.

The youth finals kick off on Sunday, 16 March at Sheppey United Football Club’s Holm Park, with the Under-13s, Under-14s and Under-15s plate competitions.