This week is Volunteers’ Week and Blackpool FC Community Trust would like to highlight one of our amazing volunteers who is still supporting the community during the Covid 19 lock down.
Before Coronavirus put a stop to our face to face sessions, Bradley Bayliss, volunteered on a range of our Community Engagement programmes, including our Ex Armed services programme for Veterans to help past service men and women to socialise and find support. He also helped at Sporting Memories, which is for people living with Dementia and other memory related illnesses.
Brad has also taken part in numerous fundraising events to raise funds for Blackpool FC Community Trust and the Blackpool Carers Centre. In October, Brad was part of a team that raised over £2200, by running 150 miles, coast to coast from Scarborough to Blackpool.
During the lock down we have been running interactive virtual programmes that BFCCT set up to tackle social isolation for our participants.
Brad said, “As soon as I heard that the Trust would not be able to run their usual sessions, I offered my help for the new digital programmes. I have telephoned participants that needed support and someone to talk to, created quizzes and football trivia questions for participants to answer.
I also volunteer on the weekly Zoom sessions with; Veterans, Older Adults and Sporting Memories groups and contribute by bringing memorabilia to the sessions to create discussion points”.
“It has kept me busy and active and has been great to be of some assistance to people who have struggled during this awful time. We have got some fantastic people in our groups and I am loving every minute of it. I am proud to be part of the Community Trust; this is something I have always wanted to do since leaving school”.
Brad is also a student on one of our Blackpool FC Sports College courses.
