 I'M REALLY proud of the work Tranmere Rovers does in the community. I know Liverpool and Everton do a lot of good community work too - in fact you would probably be hard pressed to find three local companies of the same size that do as much good work for their communities. Football in the Community is now a big part of almost every professional football club in the country. We all have a dedicated team of employees using football as the means to improve the lives of people in our catchment areas. The scope of the community teams's activities at football clubs is far broader than just teaching children basic football skills. In part it's about encouraging team building skills and confidence in young people through sport that will help them in adult life but it's also about helping other groups in the community. The range of community activities carried out by Tranmere has been shaped by a former member of the Football in the Community team - Sam Bencheikh. Sam was a Community coach at Tranmere Rovers and was particularly involved in working with children and adults with disabilities. Tragically, Sam died in a car crash in 2004 and would have celebrated his 21st birthday today, April 19. Since Sam's death the disability football programme - his main area of interest - has grown to such an extent that two coaches are now employed to oversee the operation. This has come about through the fundraising efforts of Sam's family and friends who were keen to see Sam's work continue to develop and prosper. Every Special school on Wirral receives regular coaching sessions which culminate in festivals called The Sam Bencheikh Memorial Festival held in Sam's memory. A festival was held last month and two more are organised for May. Teams have also been set up for both adults and children and the under 16 boys team now play in the newly formed Cheshire Disability League. During 2006 we conducted over 60 sessions for adults and over 200 sessions for children with a variety of special needs. The Bencheikh family are committed to working with Tranmere Rovers Football in the Community (part of a registered charity) to raise £30,000 towards a purpose-built minibus used specifically for people with disabilities. They are doing this through a number of fundraising events with the first event being on May 20 - the Wirral coastal walk where up to 100 people will be walking for the cause. Hopefully the work being conducted by the programme will, in some small way, help Sam's family on what should have been a day to remember.
If you would like to get involved with Tranmere Rovers Football in the Community call Julie Simons on 0151 609 3327 or e-mail julies@tranmererovers.co.uk
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