Being a positive force in the local community is something that the club considers to be hugely important to us, and is an area in which we are always looking for areas to try and be progressive in our attitude. Throughout our development as an organization we have been lucky enough to receive some great support from sponsors and supporters, both large and small, without which we wouldn’t be where we are today. This goodwill and readiness to help out good causes where it can be done is something that we try to pass on, in whatever small way we can, in our own local environment.

On numerous occasions down the years the club has looked to try and raise money for the outstanding facilities at The Christie, through fundraising bike rides and “Movember” sponsorship initiatives; the later effort being picked up and covered by the local South Manchester Press. It is an organisation very close to the club’s heart after the brilliant care that was given to Govan stalwart Andy Smith when he needed it some years ago.

One of the most significant link-ups that the club have been involved in is our recent one with the brilliant South Manchester initiative: Reach Out to the Community.

Reach Out are a South Manchester initiative that looks to help out vulnerable people in the area, focusing on rough sleepers and people who are in food poverty (especially those at high risk, such as the elderly). Their services include the provision of survival supplies, clothing and practical help to the homeless, and making food parcels available to those whose circumstances mean they are unable to afford to eat properly. Their hard work and dedication resulted in their being honoured in the prestigious Be Proud Manchester awards recently, where they won the Business in the Community category for their work with the homeless.

During the 16/17 season the club, and our great sponsors S&G Response, had a big push to collect as many unwanted items of clothes, books and food as we could to try to support the work that ROC do on a day to day basis, and the response was to quote the guys at ROC “A mountain of clothes”. The subsequent summer the club followed this up by making a small donation to a fund to enable the opening of ROC’s brilliant community hub in Chorlton and saw members of the club, led by Secretary, James Stokes, taking on a challenge to complete a number of 5K fundraising runs in order to collect £871 for the charity. The amount was estimated to be able to support a vulnerable person for three months with regards to topping up energy bills or rent, helping with transport and providing food and domestic goods.

It’s easy to under-estimate the power that small sports organization can have in their community and we are keen to try and add to the many great clubs being a force to good, and possibly even give ideas to others that might be looking for a way to do the same. We were delighted to be given the opportunity to chat about our efforts with the brilliant local presenter Ben Hughes on the Manchester League Podcast in 16/17 and will look to keep banging the drum for small acts of generosity and building strong, mutually beneficial links between clubs, companies and local community inititatives.