Football club playing a blinder for local community

STRATHROY Harps Football Club have been right on top of their game when it comes to ensuring the needs of the elderly and vulnerable within their local community and beyond are catered during the escalating Covid-19 crisis.

The leading Omagh club has teamed up with the Strathroy Community Association to secure funding which has been used to provide hot meals, replenish food banks as well as providing deliveries in co-operation with a number of local shops.

Club chairman Darren Groogan said the Fermanagh and Western League club was heavily involved in a huge community effort and paid tribute to everyone who was playing their part to help others.

“To be honest Jackie McElmurray of Nite Bite deserves a lot of credit, she started in the first week or so of lockdown by providing hot meals on her own bat and out of her own pocket,” he said.

“Harps set up a group along with the community association and initially secured funding from the Department of Communities. We are currently applying to council for further funding to keep the work going.

“We established a group of volunteers to look after the needs of our own community within the park but we also have designated individuals to help in the surrounding districts of Killyclogher, Knockmoyle, Mountfield, Mullaghmore and Castleview.”

As well as assisting in providing hot meals and helping to restock the food banks at weekends, volunteers are providing a delivery service from five different shops in the locality.
“It’s quite simple,” added the Harps chairman.

“The elderly can ring up the shop, place their order and if the shop needs it delivered they ring us and we will deliver it for them.

“Everyone’s situation is different but those who are able and available are playing their part in a huge community effort.

“Football has taken a back seat. The only thing that matters right now is making sure that we get to the other side of this outbreak safe and well.”

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