𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 have kindly donated their executive box hospitality for a number of Doncaster Rovers games to Mental Health FC to use this season.
And of course, MHFC are going to use them for good, to reward people in the local community, big Doncaster Rovers fans, or those going through a difficult time mentally, physically or other health reasons.
We want to use them to boost peoples mental health, but not only the person having the experience, but their friends and family or someone reading about it on social media…. that’s the MHFC way!!
This one was for Joe Edwards, some people may already know about him and his story through his online posts from @AboutGoingBlind, unfortunately he’s partially blind as he suffers from LHON (Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy).
He’d never watched Rovers from a box and I also invited his two kids, his Dad, his Wife and also his son’s girlfriend.
Not only had he not watched from a box, neither had his Son or Dad, and his Wife, Daughter and Son’s girlfriend had never been to a game, so to watch it and spend time together was special to see.
My colleague Stuart and his partner came along to, to support me with hosting while Kev was away.
I also invited Adam who’s a season ticket holder for Rovers, plays nearly every week on both Sundays and Mondays at MHFC sessions and is also on the Doncaster Rovers shadow board said the following….
𝗢𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗮 (𝗝𝗼𝗲’ 𝗪𝗶𝗳𝗲), 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲….
“Joe was thrilled when asked if he’d like to watch the match from the box and took the opportunity to ask myself and our Daughter along with his dad and son who he attends every match with.
Since Joe lost his sight his experience of football has changed immensely but his love for the game and particularly Doncaster Rovers has not dissipated.
The day was great, getting to the stadium a few hours before the match to have a look around and get lunch, felt like a special occasion.
We all really enjoyed the day, albeit not the score we were hoping for but we had fun, it was a good match and the view from the box is great, the atmosphere was brilliant, the away fans especially as we were so close to them from our seats.
Joe was brought his AD device to the box which was a nice touch to ensure the experience was seamless.
It was lovely to experience something Joe is so passionate about from the box as a family. It was an exciting day out for our daughter as she has only been a few times prior to that. But she understood it was a real treat to sit where we were and have lunch together before the match.
A huge thank you to Pristine Cleaning Solutions for their generosity in allowing us this experience and to MHFC for making it happen.
The work MHFC do is so important, creating experiences and bringing joy to not only the person going through it but their families who are fully in the depths of it with them is invaluable.”
𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲….
“I was really excited when Ryan got in touch about a week before the game to ask if I’d like to experience the hospitality box on behalf of Mental Health FC, thanks to Pristine Commercial Cleaning donating the box.
I’m a season ticket holder at Doncaster Rovers and have been to plenty of games over the years, but I’d never experienced hospitality or been in a box before, so it was something I was really looking forward to. I actually went on my own, but knowing Ryan was going to be there made it much easier, and I also got to meet and get to know some of the other people who had been invited.
The day was fantastic from start to finish. It was a completely different experience to my usual match day routine and it was great to see the game from a different perspective.
The hospitality itself was brilliant. The food, drinks, lounge and view of the game all made it feel like a really special occasion. Even though the result unfortunately wasn’t what we wanted, it didn’t take away from how enjoyable the overall experience was.
It was also really nice being around a group of people who I wouldn’t necessarily have met otherwise. I went into the day not really knowing anyone apart from Ryan, but by the end I felt much more comfortable and had really enjoyed meeting everyone.
After the game, Alfie May, who was named Rovers’ Man of the Match, came up into the lounge. It was great to see a Rovers player up close and have the opportunity to speak to him.
Unfortunately, with Rovers having lost the game, Alfie was understandably disappointed with the result. Because of that, I didn’t really feel comfortable going over and asking him for a photo or an autograph, although the opportunity was definitely there.
It was actually nice to see that side of things as well. Players are obviously disappointed when they lose, just like the fans are, and I didn’t want to make a bad result any more difficult for him.
Ryan had hoped we would be able to do the stadium tour as part of the experience, but unfortunately we were told that it was fully booked. Ryan was disappointed because he’d really wanted us to be able to do it, but personally I was absolutely fine about it.
I’d never experienced the hospitality side of Rovers before, so there was already plenty that was new to me and plenty to enjoy.
The day was absolutely brilliant. It was a fantastic experience and something I wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to do.
Being a regular season ticket holder, you get very used to having your normal routine on a match day, so being able to experience the game from inside a hospitality box was a really nice change.
The biggest thing for me was probably the people. Going into it on my own could have felt a little daunting, but everyone was really welcoming and I ended up getting to know people I wouldn’t otherwise have met. That’s a big part of what makes experiences like this so valuable.
It was brilliant to finally experience a hospitality box at my own club. I’ve been to Rovers for years but had never been inside one of the boxes, so it was something I was genuinely excited about.
It definitely feels different to being in the stands. You still have that same excitement and passion for the football, but there’s a completely different atmosphere around the match day experience.
It’s something I’d definitely love to experience again in the future.
A massive thank you to Pristine Commercial Cleaning for donating the hospitality box to Mental Health FC and making the experience possible.
Without companies like Pristine Commercial Cleaning supporting Mental Health FC, opportunities like this simply wouldn’t happen. It’s not just about watching a football match, it’s about giving people the chance to have a really positive experience, meet new people and spend time in an environment where they can feel included and welcomed.
I’d also like to thank Ryan and Mental Health FC for inviting me and for everything they do to create these opportunities. I was really grateful to be included.
I’d definitely encourage anyone who gets the opportunity to take part in one of these experiences to go for it, even if you’re going on your own.
I went into the day knowing Ryan but not really knowing the other people who were there, and I could easily have thought twice about going because of that. I’m really glad I didn’t. I had a brilliant time, met some great people and got to experience something I’d never done before at my club.
It’s a great example of how football can be about much more than the 90 minutes on the pitch. Experiences like this can give people something to look forward to, bring people together and create memories that they might not otherwise have had.
And while we’d obviously have all preferred a Rovers win, the result didn’t stop it being a fantastic day!”
– 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺
‘MHFC EXPERIENCES’ and ‘MHFC SURPRISES’ are something we hope to do more of in the future, it could be tickets to a game, hospitality, meet and greet, signed merch, stadium tour, football kit or equipment, or anything else we could sort for the MHFC community members or anyone else we hear about.
The more we can do for people, the better and give as many different people as many different opportunities and experiences as possible to give them a mental boost 🤞🙏
Maybe something they’ve never been able to attend before, but we can give them that opportunity 💚
‼️If anyone has any links or contacts to people at sports clubs that could help us provide these experiences, please get in touch 😊
You can read about previous MHFC Experiences here https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/category/mhfc-experiences/
You can read about previous MHFC Surprises here https://www.mentalhealthfc.org/category/mhfc-surprises/
If anyone or companies would like to support, donate to or sponsor MHFC please get in touch at hello@mentalhealthfc.org
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IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH FOOTBALL ⚽️💚
EVERYONE WELCOMED & SUPPORTED
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