Hair-raising Movember efforts raises £2,000 for local charities

Jan 18, 2021 | Archive

Members of the senior squad at Inver Park have raised a fantastic £2,000 through their ‘Movember’ initiative!

The money was distributed to both Extern and Cancer Focus; two worthwhile charities that provide vital work within the Larne area. ‘Movember’, an event that takes place in the month of November each year, is where men grow a moustache to raise awareness and funds for men’s health issues – particularly mental health, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide prevention.

Sharon Smith, manager of the Communities in Transition by Extern project, which is based in East Antrim, said: “We are delighted to receive this generous donation from Larne Football Club, which will help us with our vital work in supporting people facing issues relating to mental health and well-being.

“Anyone facing such issues can find a range of mental health services, along with downloadable resources, at our website www.extern.org, as well as contact details for a number of our projects. You can also follow our work via our social media channels @ExternCharity.

“Well done to the team for such a great effort, and thank you again for choosing Extern to receive this fantastic donation!”

Conor Devlin, who led the campaign throughout the month and donated his Co. Antrim Shield Final match gloves said: “The players are absolutely delighted with the support received from the public which has allowed us to raise £2,000 with the help of Brighter Futures.”

“The campaign began as a bit of fun amongst the team to promote awareness of the risk of cancer and mental health, where we hoped to raise a small amount of money which would then go towards local charities, but it quickly became a really big deal and the donations kept coming throughout the month.

“I’m a massive advocate of promoting positive mental health throughout the Larne community, especially during the difficult times we currently find ourselves in. From the players point of view, it was crucial that all money raised would be used to fund projects within the community, so we are delighted that both Cancer Focus and Extern have agreed to this. Hopefully when restrictions are eased, we can play our part in these projects and put a real emphasis on promoting positive mental health in Larne.

“On behalf of myself and the team, thank you to everyone who donated!”

Sandara Kelso-Robb MBE, Brighter Futures Strategic Advisor added: “This is yet another fine example of the community spirit within Larne FC. I know that Extern and Cancer Focus are delighted to benefit from this excellent fundraising and we at Brighter Futures are really excited about working with them this year for the benefit of local people. We are also excited about a number of new initiatives underway within Brighter Futures so, watch this space!”

Brighter Futures Fund, supported by Larne Football Club, is a vehicle for development, regeneration and support within the Larne community that encourages everyone to improve their health and well-being through the provision of access to first class sporting and recreational facilities, grants and other charitable resources.

To find out more about Brighter Futures and Larne Football Club, visit  https://www.larnefc.com/brighterfutures/

Other News