The Trust would like to apologise for inaccuracies in both content and tone within our previous communications on community work done by the club and Trust. The below statement accurately reflects the work that has been done to date and plans for the future.
The 1895 Trust and Shelbourne FC are working together to engage the local community surrounding the football club.
So far, first team players and club representatives has begun visiting local schools – bringing Shels players into classes to coach football-mad kids.
“The idea has been to grow Shelbourne’s presence in the community by having players and coaches from the club coming and talking to the local children and showing them that the football club are an active part of sport in their community,” says Donnchadh MacAogáin, Community Officer with the 1895 Trust.” The Trust has proved the contacts within the schools whilst the club has followed up with the logistics.
Club Promotions Officer Sean Fitzpatrick has organised the player visits on behalf of Shelbourne. “Alex Prizeman, Rob Cornwall and Ger Hanley have been outstanding and the feedback from the schools has been excellent. We’ve also provided free tickets for the kids and these have already been taken up in numbers”.
Posters, designed by Ciarán Doyne, have also been put up in schools. The scheme has been piloted in Rosmini Community School, St Patrick’s Drumcondra and in Larkhill Boys National School (Whitehall).
Plans are afoot to expand the scheme to more schools as the new school year starts in September.
“The plan is to have an even more structured layout to offer schools from the start of the next schools year, ideally coming with an interactive presentation on the history of Shelbourne FC prior to the coaching,” McAogáin says. “To become synonymous with certain schools over time, and to increase the awareness and interest that young people have about the football club.”