Community - Embedded

 

 

 

 

 

 Is there a more overused word than than the word "community" ? this community that community, the meriad of various groups, sub groups, sub sub groups all pretty much designed to divide people into nice little catagories. Race, gender, politics, sexuality, physical/mental ability, class and probably a hundred more. Imagine landing from the planet Zog and asking to meet the leader of the community and then trying to understand the answer.

 

 

 

One of the joys of supporting a football club that truly does base itself in the community - all communities within its geographical reach, is that it does not really care what people are but who they are. 

I have been priveledged enough to be able to contribute something back to our club at Stockport County over the past few years by way of volunteering my time both as a voluntary worker and secretary of "Help The Hatters" The group performs post match stadium clean ups, remedial repair work and refurbishment of the stadium during the close season. Beyond this the group and its volunteers provide resource both financial and human to support worthy and needy causes within the locality. The group was born out of a need and and a desire to help the club improve its then training base in Timperley but has clearly seen the club embark on a roller coaster of emotions over the period since then. Championship to National League North within a dozen years or so. Entirely self funded the group and its core dozen volunteers continue to support the club and the wider community.

As the club thankfully heads to better times the work of the voluntary sector continues. One of the joys of the work includes taking people on who may have some disabilities and/or suffer from some disadvantages but show a keen desire to be involved. Sadly there isn't always a happy ending. The group have taken on disadvantaged volunteers, developed their skills, confidence and abilities and then, through absolutely no fault of their own these people have had to leave the locality for reasons beyond their control and more akin to a failed Adult Social Services system. The "community" that we work within is sometimes horrible, failed and unpleasant. We sometimes lose the ability to improve peoples lives and in some cases lose those people altogether. Thankfully though there are happier stories:

 

 

Carl Weiczorek was introduced to the group in the winter of 2022/23 He has some learning difficulties and Attention Deficit Disorder. None of this remotely bothers Carl and his zest for life and positive outlook probably puts most of us to shame. I have met Carl's mum and dad Eugene and Sylvia on a number of occasions. They tell me that they approached a large football club in Stretford to try and get Carl integrated into some sort of voluntary work but struggled to get anywhere with them thats when they turned to County. Carl regulary attends Edgeley Park as a fan and also as a volunteer. We are working on Carl's 'work skills' Carl does like a chat !!

I was recently approached by the football club asking if we had a volunteer that may like to to take part in a film the English Football League were making with the theme being diversity. I put Carl forward, he was selected and I took him to Wimbledon Film Studios on 20th June. 

 

 

When I asked Carl's mum Sylvia if he was up to a fifteen hour day and an eleven hour round trip drive she said that he would be but it was me she felt sorry for sitting in a car with the ever chatty Carl for eleven hours. I survived !

The days film shoot was challenging. Given the theme of the shoot "diversity" there were some searching questions, some raw emotions and it was not an easy ride for some.

 

 

 

 One of the questions was centred around discrimination and victim status. When the question was asked many of the featured group responded in the affirmative and yet Carl did not. I know he has suffered some abuse and I asked him on the way home why he did not respond. He told me that he did not see himself as a victim and that if anybody did verbally abuse him it was them that had the problem and needed 'help' more than him. He told me that he was perfectly happy living at home with his Mum and Dad and dog and was grateful for anything extra that he could gain out of life. I would suggest that its the likes of Eugene and Sylvia that should be getting the MBE, CBE's etc but that's just my opinion.

As a brief footnote to this story there were two wonderful moments to the days shoot. Firstly Carl's best buddie for the day, he had 71 clubs to choose from was...........the stunning looking girl representing Wrexham.

 

 

 

 

 

 Secondly, one of the questions was "who has experienced a promotion this past season" as the Carlisle and Leyton Orient fans headed for the film area Carl's face was priceless, sadly missed by the camera team. 

 

 

 

The film I understand will be out around the end of July 2023, meanwhile here`s a very short  video from Carl`s big day.....

 

 

 

So, a snapshot of 'community' sadly not always pretty, not always a happy ending but if we can improve just one persons life just for a while beyond what it would have been then I guess it's some sort of result. 

Thanks to:

Help the Hatters Voluntary Group and Stockport County FC

Olivia Hanvey at Stockport County FC

EFL  with particular thanks to David McArdle  

Jade representing  Wrexham FC

Danni representing Charlton Athletic

Johnathan  representing  Carlisle United

Carl Weiczorek and his parents Eugene and Sylvia Weiczorek

Every other representative on the days filming and the film crew and director and staff at Wimbledon Film Studios 

Adrian Caville

June 2023