Marine in the Community Autumn Report: Going from Strength to Strength
Marine in the Community (MITC) has made an excellent start to the new season and, just like Marine FC’s first team, continues to go from strength to strength. With new initiatives, growing participation and an expanding range of community services, we remain committed to making a positive difference to the lives of people across our local community.
One of our most exciting new initiatives is our free Girls’ Youth Club, supported by Sefton CVS. The project has been a fantastic success, giving young girls the opportunity to make new friends, develop new skills and enjoy activities in a warm, welcoming and supportive environment. This builds on the success of our Tuesday Youth Club, now entering its second year, which continues to provide teenagers with a safe and positive space at our Community Wellbeing Hub.
We have also introduced a new Arts Café every Monday afternoon. While particularly aimed at older members of our community, the sessions are open to everyone and welcome people from a wide range of backgrounds. Led by Sally-Anne Tapia-Bowes, the group has quickly established a wonderful atmosphere, with our Hub providing the ideal setting for creativity, personal development and social connection.
This complements the continued success of the Marine Community Choir, which meets every Tuesday afternoon. Numbers continue to grow as members come together to create and perform some wonderful music. Choir leader Sue Grainger has fostered a warm and inclusive atmosphere, making the choir much more than a musical group - it is a place where friendships flourish and people feel part of a community.
Our Friday Community Café remains one of the highlights of the week, regularly welcoming around 100 people for an afternoon of friendship, entertainment and excellent food prepared by our chef, Lisa. We are particularly pleased to have introduced a free community minibus pick-up and drop-off service, enabling us to bring some of our most vulnerable residents to the café and ensuring that transport is less of a barrier to participation.
This valuable service has only been possible thanks to the dedication of our fantastic volunteers, Claire and Colin, together with the generosity of everyone who supported the purchase and restoration of our community minibus. Their contributions are helping us reach people who might otherwise struggle to attend. (We are still looking for a minibus sponsor)
Last week, we hosted the regional National League Primary Schools Qualifiers for local schools. The event was well attended and expertly organised by our Head Coach, Sean O’Dighartaigh, alongside students from Marine Academy, who did a fantastic job refereeing and officiating throughout the tournament.
Waterloo Primary School won the boys’ competition, while Valewood Primary School claimed the girls’ title. Both schools will now represent Marine and our local community at the North West regional finals.
We are also delighted to welcome Waterloo Primary School as a new Marine partner, joining St Luke’s and Forefield. We look forward to developing these partnerships and creating further opportunities for young people through football and education.
If your school is interested in partnering with Marine in the Community, we would love to hear from you. We are always keen to develop new relationships with local schools and create opportunities that benefit young people and the wider community.
We are equally delighted to welcome Aaron Graham to the Marine in the Community team. Aaron first joined us on work experience two years ago and has impressed everyone with his commitment, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Following the completion of his A levels, he has now started a Level 4 Community and Professional Development Apprenticeship. Working alongside Head Coach Sean O’Dighartaigh, Aaron will help develop our projects and support the continued growth of the charity. His journey demonstrates the value of providing young people with meaningful opportunities to gain experience, develop skills and build their future careers.
Today, Marine in the Community supports more than 500 people every week, delivering projects that improve health and wellbeing, provide educational opportunities and strengthen community cohesion. None of this would be possible without the commitment of our staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, sponsors and supporters. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who contributes to our work, with particular thanks to Marine FC for its continued support and commitment to the community.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks to our sponsors, Radfield Home Care and Bennett Safetywear, for their continued support.
As MITC continues to grow, we welcome new volunteers, participants, community partnerships and sponsorship opportunities. Whether you would like to join one of our activities, book the Community Wellbeing Hub, enquire about the community minibus or support our work through sponsorship or a donation, we would love to hear from you.
Support of any size can make a genuine difference, helping us maintain our facilities, operate our minibus, provide transport for local residents and develop new projects to meet the needs of our community. By working together, we can ensure that MITC continues to deliver and expand its valuable services for the people we support.
Together, we look forward to continuing our work supporting people every day of the week
both on the pitch and at the heart of our community.
Graeme Gardiner
Community Director
Marine in the Community