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Bears lead the way
LEAGUE One side Coventry Bears are running
an excellent initiative at this weekend’s home clash with Keighley Cougars.
The
club has labelled the game “Befriend a Bear
Match” as they look to encourage lonely people - particularly the elderly - to
come along to watch rugby league.
A
Bears statement explained: “Watching sport
at home on the TV is fine but doesn’t compare to actually being there, feeling
involved with your local team, experiencing the knocks, facing up to adversity,
enjoying the victory and just being part of a live, exciting and often
unpredictable event.
“It’s also a great
way to make friends from different backgrounds through a common interest and
can form part of a healthier and happier approach to life as a whole.
“Over
the past couple of years, Coventry Bears have been actively making a lot of new
friends across Coventry and Warwickshire, whether its attending the games,
joining in with fitness sessions or being one of the thousands of youngsters
enjoying their first touch of a rugby ball.
“But
there are a lot of lonely people out there, and that’s why the Bears
are teaming up with Age UK Coventry.
“Age
UK Coventry are one of Coventry Bears’ charity partners and they do great work
locally in the city.
“Age
UK Coventry provide advice on matters facing older people and their relatives
and carers free of charge, and they help older people keep more independent for
longer.
“They
also run a ‘befriending’ scheme, where
befrienders are paired with older people to help combat loneliness.
“It
is this ‘befriending’ that Coventry
Bears want to support at the next home game against Keighley on May 7.
“Players,
staff and volunteers will be reaching out to different sections of the local community,
hoping to bring some new faces to join their established family of friends at
the Butts Park Arena.”
Through
their website, the Bears have encouraged their regular supporters to invite a
relative or neighbour along to the match and introduce them to rugby league and
the club.
Tickets
for these newcomers have been discounted to £9,
and there will be a charity raffle on the day with all proceeds going to the
Age UK Coventry.
The
Bears added: “The spirit of the event is about
encouraging new friends, family and the older and more vulnerable people in the
community to come along.”
Coventry
aren’t alone in running innovative community
initiatives, and it’s an area of the game - particularly outside the full-time
top flight - that deserves immense credit, not just for promoting rugby league
but for having an impact on lives in the local area.
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