Rowan Villa FC celebrating 15 years of friendship and fun

A FOOTBALL team that provides a lifeline for local men struggling with mental health issues has celebrated 15 years of bringing fitness, friendship and fun to the Omagh area.

Rowan Villa FC is jointly-run by the Western Health Trust and a group of volunteers who are supported through the Inspire Wellbeing Omagh Partnership.

A group of men have been meeting up every Tuesday afternoon for the past 15 years on the Maine Football pitch to enjoy the social and physical benefits of playing football in a warm, friendly environment.

Sean McCullough, Senior Nurse at the Western Trust’s Adult Mental Health Services, said, “The Rowan Villa Football Club has been going from strength-to-strength over the past 15 years and the numbers have increased each week.

“A lot of the men who joined the football club are socially isolated and can come every Tuesday to Maine Football pitch when the weather is sunny or at Station Centre in Omagh when it’s very wet.”

Sean added, “We run this football club in partnership with Inspire Wellbeing and are very grateful to Mark Dodds for coming out each week to pass on his knowledge and skills as a football coach.

“This club can be a lifeline for these men as the physical and more importantly the mental health benefits cannot be underestimated.

“Many of these men live on their own and are socially isolated and would not have contact with anyone else apart from coming to this group on a Tuesday afternoon. It builds friendships, team working, and overall self-esteem and we hope this continues to grow and provides a social outlet for years to come.

“We are always looking for more people to join the football club and would welcome any of our service users who are supported by a community mental health nurse attached to the Community Mental Health Recovery Team who would be interested in joining to please speak to their key worker or contact Rowan Villa on (028) 8383 5310 to find out more.”

Mr Dodds, from Inspire Wellbeing, said, “We are very privileged to work in partnership with the Western Trust to deliver this football club for these young men from the Omagh area. We can pull our resources and skills to enable this group to meet every week.

He continued, “The men have developed skills not only football skills but teamwork and connection with other people. I am a football coach and this is a real passion of mine and I enjoy sharing my skills and developing the confidence of the men who come to the club. For some men, this might be the first time they have played football and it is wonderful to see how much their skills develop and the great enjoyment they get from playing this great sport.”

Damien Davies, a member of Rowan Villa FC, said, “The club is first class, with brilliant staff and clients.

“We are all very friendly and welcoming and look forward to seeing new members join our team very soon.”