Ennis soccer club kicks off partnership with Samaritans

AN Ennis soccer club has kicked off a new initiative with the goal of highlighting the services of the Samaritans in Clare.

Fair Green Celtic Football Club have teamed up with the Samaritans of Ennis and Clare in a project which is thought to be a first for any team in the Clare District Soccer League, and they are hoping that others will follow their lead.

Part of the initiative sees the phone number to contact the Samaritans printed on the jerseys of the club’s players as a reminder that there is support out there for anybody who needs help.

A portion of all money raised from club fundraising has also been pledged to the Samaritans, including from a planned charity match with Ennis’s Soccer Sisters on St Stephen’s Day.

Team manager Richie O’Grady explains that when he and club chairman Declan Ryan first discussed the idea of setting up a new club in Ennis they wanted it to be about more than sport.

“We wanted to get good lads around us and to be seen as a community soccer club. That it would be a club that does something else other than just playing soccer on a Sunday so we wanted to get involved with some local charities.”

A chance meeting at work with two ladies who volunteer with the Samaritans saw Richie learn more about what the organisation does and having spoken with Samaritans Ennis director Margaret MacMahon he was eager to help support them through the club.

“When you hear about the work they do and the amount of people they help it’s kind of frightening. They get on average about 20,000 calls a year to the local Samaritans, these are calls coming from the Clare area. I’m staggered by that number. They could get over 100 calls on Christmas Day alone and they are fighting for resources and volunteers to take those calls.”

“Everyone has been affected by something, be it suicide, depression, whatever. People have lost friends and family and just to see how the Samaritans help is so impressive.

“They are all volunteers doing it out of their own time, and as a club we wanted to do what we could to help them.”

Ordering their jerseys for the third division club’s first season they ensured that the Samaritan’s phone number was placed prominently on the back.

“We want to be able to get the phone number out there. We are playing teams every week and there are lads who are going to be looking at that phone number. Also we are advertising the Samaritans with flyers at our games and we are going to donate a percentage of every club fundraiser to them.”

The club is hopeful that if someone feels they need help that they might be inspired to call the Samaritans having seen the phone number on the jerseys. He adds that men in particular can sometimes feel like they cannot turn to someone for support, however the Samaritans are there to help 365 days a year.

“If people can see a squad of 20 players on a Sunday morning advertising the service that the Samaritans is there and available to talk to anyone hopefully that can encourage people to get in touch if they need to.

“Men sometimes don’t seem to want to be able to open up and talk about things like that. If we can help a percentage of people to maybe ring in that number or get in touch in another way it will be all worthwhile.”

He adds, “I think we are one of the first clubs in the county to do anything like this and hopefully this will open up doors for other teams to take on other charities going forward. That would be brilliant.”

The club has arranged to play a match with the Soccer Sisters on December 26 in Ennis with funds raised going to the Samaritans. “It will be a mix of boys and girls from both teams playing against each other and we’re going to have prizes on the day,” he explains.

If you or anyone you know need the services of the Samaritans contact 116123.