ADY Pennock will take the first step in building Barrow AFC’s links with the community today.

The new manager sees developing bonds between the first team and the local area as a key target; and the club will throw open their doors to dozens of school-children this morning for a special training session.

Youngsters from half-a-dozen local schools will be at Holker Street for the chance to meet members of the AFC squad, have pictures taken with them and receive autographs from the Bluebirds stars.

St Pius, Ormsgill, Barrow Island, St James, Victoria Academy and St George’s pupils will then be able to take a seat in the Brian Arrowsmith Stand and watch Pennock lead the players through a training session, moved to Holker Street from their usual Hopwood Hall base, near Rochdale, for the first time in more than 18 months.

Barrow will carry on their session after the children head back to their schools for lunch, with a blank weekend ahead as a result of their early FA Cup exit at Shaw Lane last month.

“It’s a good opportunity for us, with us not playing on the Saturday, to come up on the Friday and meet the kids – the next generation of supporters,” said Pennock, who has been in charge at Holker Street for a week. “It’s really important to have that connection.

“Obviously, everyone knows we are based in Manchester with the training facility, but every opportunity we can, we want to come up here.

“We want that togetherness with the community. Even though we’re in Manchester, we want to give something back and get closer to the community.”

Pennock hopes the Holker Street visit with the school children and the training session will be the first of many such engagements with the wider community.

Before the schools arrive at the stadium, he will be sitting down with staff from the Barrow AFC Community Sports arm, who organise many activities in schools and during holidays to engage youngsters with the club.

He hopes to expand that work to include more of the first-team squad, and added: “I most definitely would like to do more events like this.

“We will be looking at getting the players to go round schools, the hospital, just generally put the word around that we are here – it’s not just on Saturdays.

“When me and Andrew (Casson, the AFC managing director) met, we both got our heads together and thought it would be a good idea. We’re looking forward to it.

“Even if it’s not for training, we will get the players to come up for assemblies at schools and in other areas of the community – there are good opportunities to do that.”