Burnley FC in the Community staff members, Gwilym Jones (Primary and Secondary Schools Engagement Manager) and Michael Colquhoun (Head of Community Welfare and Inclusion) will once again take on another charity cycle, this time from Turf Moor to Glentoran FC in Belfast, to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society and Burnley FC in the Community (BFCitC) in May 2022.
Burnley legend Jimmy McIlroy lived with dementia in his later life before his passing in 2018, as have several other Clarets ex-players.
Gwilym and Michael want to raise awareness of the disease by taking on the cycle challenge while raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society and BFCitC’s own community programme, the Dementia Café, which offers a safe and welcoming space for those living with dementia.
Burnley FC have supported Alzheimer’s Society throughout this season and are backing the charity’s Sport United Against Dementia campaign, which is bringing the sporting world together to create real and lasting change for people affected by dementia.
The campaign seeks to increase awareness of dementia and what support is available, help make sports dementia-friendly, so people with dementia can continue to enjoy watching sports in their local communities, and fund research to better understand the connections between sport and dementia.
Support so far has included Burnley FC making a donation for each sale of their third kit launched in September last year, and the charity’s logo was also displayed on the front of their first-team playing kit for their Carabao Cup match against Rochdale.
McIlroy started his career with Glentoran Football Club and this will be the destination for the cycle, where the pair will link up with Glentoran Club staff upon arrival at The Oval.
In May 2021, both Gwilym and Michael cycled from Turf Moor to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, raising over £2,000 in the process for three different charities, a fantastic effort.
And they are set to get back on the saddle and do it all again for a great cause!
The cycle is approximately 270 miles and will take around three days to complete. The route will take them through Wales, Republic of Ireland and into Northern Ireland.
Training is well underway for Gwilym and Michael to make sure they’re ready to take on this huge challenge, so please show your support and donate!
Tara Edwards, Alzheimer’s Society Lancashire Area Manager said: “We are in awe of supporters like Gwilym and Michael whose brilliant fundraising efforts enable us to reach more people through our vital support services.
“It will be such an achievement completing their challenge of cycling from Burnley FC’s ground to Glentoran FC’s ground in Belfast.
“We’re also really proud to be working with Burnley FC on our Sports United Against Dementia Campaign.
“The Club has already been doing some incredible work to support people living with dementia in the local community and we hope to see more Clubs follow in Burnley’s footsteps to help ensure no one faces dementia alone.
“Our Alzheimer’s Society support services have been used over six million times since March 2020. But thanks to the efforts of fundraisers like Gwilym and Michael we can be a lifeline to the 900,000 people across the UK living with dementia, 17,000 of which are in Lancashire.”
Burnley FC in the Community
BFCitC’s work is channelled into key areas including, Education & Employability, Community Welfare & Inclusion, Football Development and Community Facilities.
The team now deliver over 50 community projects that touch the lives of a huge spectrum of people in and around Burnley.
Though embedded within the ethos of Burnley FC, the charity are financially independent from the football club. The organisation rely on fundraising activities, donations, sponsorships, and grants to do the work that they do and every penny raised goes to developing new opportunities for those who need it most.
The charity deliver a Dementia café, which provides a safe, comfortable, and supportive environment where people with dementia and their carers can come together and share experiences.
As well as the great activities the café offers, it also gives carers and people with dementia a chance to get information, advice and talk to others in a similar situation.
Michael Colquhoun is fundraising for Burnley FC in the Community (justgiving.com)
Alzheimer’s Society.
Alzheimer’s Society’s support services have been used over six million times since March 2020 by people in need of their help. If you need information, support or advice, please contact the Dementia Connect support line on 0333 150 3456.
About Alzheimer’s Society:
Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia charity. We provide information and support, fund research, a campaign to improve care and create lasting change for people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Dementia deaths are rising year on year and 225,000 will develop dementia this year – that’s one every three minutes.
The total cost of care for people with dementia in the UK is £34.7 billion. This is the equivalent of more than £40,000 per person with dementia.
Alzheimer’s Society funds research into the cause, care, cure, and prevention of all types of dementia. This includes a £50 million investment in the UK’s first dedicated Dementia Research Institute.