The Trust’s initiatives this year have made significant progress. Among the goals while supporting our charity, The Rochdale DS All Stars, was to, if possible, take the group to a Christmas pantomime, which for many would be their first visit to a Christmas show. It happened, and with the wonderful support of our sister organisation, the DALE 1907 group (without whom this would not have been possible), this part of the project became a reality. We covered this first in our web post HERE.
The visits were arranged for the Trust and the All Stars by Lee Percy and the 1907 team and funded from their own donations. For the Allstars to attend three separate dates, three dates were required to accommodate the families involved; the last occurred last weekend.
We asked Emma Lambert, one of the All Stars’ coordinators and our liaison with the group, to arrange a few words so we could report back to members and fans. Below is the press release Emma sent to the media in Rochdale and Manchester. We include it “as is” to capture their opinions and emotions from the visits they made to represent their experiences and views. We will be featuring a special “Feed Back” post soon with some of the amazing feel-good feedback from the mums and dads.
The Publicity Release starts with the Heading.
KIND-HEARTED DALE FANS MAKE CHRISTMAS MAGICAL FOR LOCAL DOWN’S SYNDROME COMMUNITY: OH YES THEY DID!!
As part of its ongoing work with Rochdale DS All Stars, kind-hearted football fans from Dale 1907, sister organisation of Rochdale Supporters Trust, brought Christmas cheer to the local Down’s syndrome community by treating their members to a panto trip.
More than 90 parents, young carers, children and young adults with Down’s syndrome enjoyed a trip to the Queen Elizabeth Hall Civic Centre in Oldham to see a performance of Beauty and the Beast, starring Les Dennis and Jeffery Longmore.
Youngsters and parents alike delighted in the Show, as Claire Minnett, chair of Rochdale DS All Stars, commented: “The panto was just amazing, and our families had an absolute ball. The antics on the stage had already put a smile on all our faces, but I think the adults among us got almost as much enjoyment watching the little ones having such a great time.
“It was the first time that some of our members had visited a theatre, and we couldn’t have asked for a more magical start to the festive season. We are deeply grateful to the team at Rochdale Supporters Trust, who made this possible, and to their colleagues at DALE 1907, who moved the project forward with their generous donation.
Lee Percy, of Dale 1907, adds: “One of Rochdale Supporters Trust’s aims when working with Rochdale DS Stars was to fund a trip to the panto and we were able to do this thanks to the kindness of our fans, in particular Jason Lynch and Dean Penney at Go Traffic Management, in Worsley, who made an incredibly generous donation.“It has made mine and the rest of Dale 1907 and the Daletrust’s Christmas to hear what a wonderful time was had by the 23 families, who went along, and we are truly delighted we could make a difference.”
Vince Ashall. The Trust’s Director on the club board added, “Working with the All Stars was the brainchild of Bob, our previous chair and trust director, who has encouraged us all and driven the project forward. We can’t stop smiling at the photos in the post, just brilliant.
Dale 1907 is the sister organisation of Rochdale Supporters Trust. It raises funds through various initiatives, including local pub box collections, charity days, and challenges, to improve the fan experience and support local good causes. Rochdale DS All Stars, meanwhile, is a volunteer-run group offering friendship and support to individuals in Rochdale with Down’s syndrome and their families.
PLEASE NOTE. FULL PERMISSION WAS GIVEN FOR THE USE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS ABOVE
For further information, please call Emma on 07736 116194 or click the link to look up Rochdale DS All Stars on Facebook or Instagram.
Or contact the Trust at info@daletrust.co.uk