Coronavirus: Sports clubs coming to aid of isolating communities

In Lurgan, Glenavon FC have teamed up with several other sports clubs in the area to provide assistance to those who need it the most.

On Saturday Mourneview Park received its first drop-off of supplies which the club intends to distribute.

Club director Leigh McClune said: “There was a great response on Saturday. The guy from the Spar in Mourne Road bought £500 worth of stuff from the cash and carry and dropped it down to us. That was an amazing gesture.

“Most of the players have volunteered to help out in some way or another. We’ve probably about a dozen or so helping out.”

Ms McClune said in order to meet demand the club was on the the look out for a reasonably priced supplier for hand soap, sanitizer and toilet rolls.

She added: “We’re joining up with Lurgan Rugby Club, Lurgan Town, Lurgan Ladies so there’s more of us together to cover the south Lurgan area.”

In Co Down, Donaghadee Football Club launched a ‘community friendship’ campaign.

The club is deploying its minibus to deliver warm packs and essential items to local pensioners and is also collecting books to be distributed around older members of the community who are self isolating.

Club chairman Michael Robinson said: “We are a very community-based club and we are looking to see what we can do in terms of deploying the manpower and resources we have to assist those most in need.

“Our initial approach was to ask all our players to identify three older and/or vulnerable persons and take responsibility for taking care of those people at this difficult time. We have now utilised our minibus to partner with other local groups to deliver essential items.

“We have added to this a ‘book bus’ whereby we are delivering books to the elderly. It’s important to remember many of our older generation do not have access to Sky TV or the internet, therefore books can be very important during prolonged isolation.

“We are currently working with Kilcooley Women’s Centre in a joint project effort to access the fund set up by the Department of Communities in order that we can widen our efforts and help more people.”

He added: “If the predictions are right then things are going to potentially become very bad. At that point it’s important there’s strong community spirit and leadership. Everyone has a part to play and we all need to share and stick together.

“Such a strong community ethos will act as a barrier to society deteriorating into in-fighting and looting as we have seen in some other countries.”