Christmas came early for the Boreham Wood first team players, staff and the real stars of the show, the Borehamwood Day Centre and our local Mencap groups.
As everyone enjoyed a truly festive afternoon at Meadow Park, with a full Christmas dinner, all the trimmings, followed by a rich chocolate cake all made by the clubs wonderful catering department.
The local Day Centre and Mencap groups, their carers and parents, were wonderfully waitress served and entertained by the BWFC Chairman, the players and the staff. As everyone was made to feel most welcome, before Christmas presents were then handed out.
Chairman Danny Hunter who had planned and set the event up said ” our guests, our staff, our players and our management team were in fantastic form today. It was just a very heart warming experience for us all. To see local people all enjoying a day of true inclusion, where everyone mingled and everyone played their part, in what was a
wonderful occasion.
Community/Academy Manager Billy Hunter said “We’ve been helping our local Day Centre and Mencap group for a quite a while now. So I’m delighted to say that with both the Chairman and Tesco’s help, we are now going to continue to look after both groups throughout 2017.
“On the day we thought we might have had perhaps 40 people to look after, but we ended up with over 65 people for lunch. So hats off to our caterers, and staff who were amazing on the day and along with everyone else, created a fantastic atmosphere.
BWFC Community Head Coach Cameron Mawer who coaches the groups said “Our community department has been working closely with both local groups in recent months. We’ve been hosting weekly sessions as well as holding a fantastic tournament with lots of similar groups from around Hertfordshire.
“We offer everyone within the groups the chance to come down and spend some time with us, in a safe environment which is suitable for them. They get to enjoy days out, learn new things and get the support, advice and importantly the inclusion that they need, to make their everyday life better.
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Getting our first team, our staff, the Chairman and both our groups, their carers and their family together was fantastic. We have enjoyed a simple lunch together in the true spirit of Christmas and, If you sat across the room and watched everyone, you would of thought we had known each other for years.
“The one thing I’ve learnt from being part of this football club over the past 3 or 4 years. Is your taught to be part of something and we look after our own. Whether your a small part of things here and come in one day a week or you are full time and part of the management team. You get a feeling of belonging and the Chairman really makes that clear to everyone on a daily basis.
Mawer concluded “So we have to make sure that message of belonging, is made clear to both our groups, with participation and inclusion our priority. We feel its really important to integrate everyone and the men and woman who work at Mencap and the Day Centre, do an amazing job.
“We can now look to grow and improve things, alongside Mark McManus our newly appointed disability coach and new team manager. Mark has disabilities of his own to overcome, but he is going to be a big addition to the work that we do at this football club.
