Community Cohesion Officer Syed Ali spoke to iFollow Dale recently to update supporters on his time at the Club so far.
He talks us through his first three months in the role, the initiatives already in place and future projects taking place.
Click HERE to watch the full 16-minute video for FREE, or check out a summary of what he touched on below.
INITIATIVES/PROJECTS ALREADY TAKING PLACE
- On a Saturday morning at Stoneyfield Park, 20 to 25 youngsters take part in football sessions introduced by Syed. This provides opportunities for young people to improve their wellbeing, skills and understanding of the game through training exercises and drills.
- Friday night sees youngsters take part in the Premier League Kicks sessions at Rochdale Leisure Centre, where they place five-a-side matches, as well as other sports such as cricket and basketball.
- Deeplish Community Centre hold a ladies wellbeing club on a Monday morning, which tackles loneliness and encourages social activity. The ladies take part in armchair exercises, play games including cards, and enjoy food together afterwards.
- A similar wellbeing club also takes place at Wardle & Smallbridge Community Centre on a Tuesday.
- In partnership with Syed’s counterpart at Oldham Athletic, Abul Khayr, friendly matches and tournaments have been arranged between the two Clubs. The inaugural friendly took place in November – click HERE for more information.
INITIATIVES/PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE
- A Community Cohesion Cup, where youngsters enter on an individual basis and are allocated to a team for a tournament. Talks and seminars will also take place regarding educating the youngsters on hate crime and other issues.
- A creation of a Rochdale fan group, similar to Bradford City’s Bangla Bantams, with the help of the group Fans For Diversity, to encourage more BAME youngsters to attend Rochdale matches.
- Involvement in Hate Crime Awareness Week which is coming up soon at Deeplish Community Centre.
- A MasterChef-style event, where students from Hopwood Hall will compete against each other to win a special award from the Football Club. Syed has already held his first session at the college to begin this project.
If you would like more information or to get involved with Rochdale AFC and Dale In The Community Sports Trust, please contact Head Of Community Keith Hicks on 01706643836 or 07958593121, or email keith.hicks@rochdaleafc.co.uk.