Blackburn Rovers Celebrate International Volunteers Day with Walking football

Blackburn Rovers Celebrate International Volunteers Day with Walking football

Blackburn Rovers Community Trust’s walking football sessions are growing in popularity each week!

The Trust deliver a wide range of walking football sessions, for both male and females, and are supported by a fantastic team of volunteers.

Damien Wild, Managing Director at Fairham Mouldings, and Barry Gavahan, Managing Director at DES Group, both kindly volunteer their time to help support all walking football sessions.

Both men have also made cash donations towards Blackburn Rovers Community Trust’s walking football sessions and provided welcome bags for participants that includes a water bottle, football, and a training t-shirt.

Chris McGrail, who leads all walking football sessions for Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, praised both Barry and Damien for their contributions ahead of International Volunteer Day.

He said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to Barry and Damien. Without their support, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

“They both give up their time to support not only our Rovers Rehabilitation walking football sessions, but our women’s walking football sessions too.

“They have helped promote, grow, and deliver the sessions. They have made a huge positive impact on all participants. They are remarkable and we are lucky to have them involved, and we cannot thank them enough.”

Chris McGrail

Barry and Damien are regular fixtures at Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre on a Tuesday and a Thursday, whether that is helping run a session, making participants a cup of tea, or just having a general chat with the group.

“I fell in love with walking football when I came to my very first session. I love what the sessions stand for and the impact they have on people.

“I put my time into helping and cash donations too. To support this is something that is close to my heart, and I want to give back to the local community. I am a huge Blackburn Rovers fan, and it also gives a release coming to help from my day-to-day life running a business.

Damien, a Blackburn Rovers supporter

“Walking football at Blackburn Rovers Community Trust means a lot to me. It has been a real eye-opener and it has provided somewhere for me to escape away from running a business and where my thoughts can go somewhere else apart from work.”

Barry Gavahan