Gôl Cymru in Ireland – December 2024
As the Wales women’s team made history by beating Ireland to take their place in place in the 2025 European Championship finals, Gôl Cymru! swung into action. While the Red Wall fans were cheering on the girls they were also supporting East Wall Bessborough Football Club and community organisation. The club is based in Dublin’s north inner city and Gôl is sponsoring their girls team.
East Wall Bessborough was close to going under a few years ago but thanks to the hard work and commitment of the community they are now a thriving club who are building their women’s section. They’re motto is Together We’re Stronger similar to the Football Association of Wales’s #TogetherStronger.
The Wales fans were pleased to be able to help mark this all important international fixture by sponsoring East Wall Bessborough’s under 10 girls team’s kit. These young footballers are the club’s first girls team and they are looking forward to opening a girls academy in 2025.
Paul Flynn, Head of Girls Development, said, ‘This partnership with Gôl Cymru! will enable East Wall Bessborough to further expand its policy of promoting and setting up opportunities for young girls to play football both within our fledgling club and in the wider community. Girls football can only flourish if clubs work in partnership to create a fun and learning environment.’
During 2024 the fans visited a children’s home in Montenegro, supported play sessions for seriously ill children in Iceland and helped families of children with cancer in Turkey.
Elin Thomas from Gôl Cymru! said, ‘We are really pleased to be able to support the East Wall Bessborough’s girls. This is the first time we have made a donation around a women’s game and it was an amazing night for women’s football.’
Gôl Cymru! heads to Turkey – November 2024
For Wales’ final away game in the Nations Cup qualifiers, the fans’ charity Gôl Cymru! helped KANKA (Together Against Cancer Association) at Turkey’s largest paediatric bone marrow transplant hospital. Built with donations from philanthropists from Kayseri, the 60-bed hospital provides services in the areas of cancer treatment and bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. It also includes a children’s playground, theatre and a family house.
Gôl donated €1000 to support the families of the children being treated at the centre to enable them to care for their loved ones while they are receiving treatment. The fans also delivered toys to aid the children during their recovery.
The paediatric centre was opened in 2011 under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Musa Karakükcü, the President of KANKA. He said, “KANKA is a social organisation that was established in Kayseri and works for the benefit of children with cancer. Our mission & vision are to treat our children with the highest quality facilities and ensure their recovery as soon as possible. In addition, we want to help our families get through this process in the best possible way while they are in the treatment process. Collaborating with Gôl Cymru! to help the children will be a great experience for us too.”
Ashton Adams from Gôl Cymru! said, “It was great to see the amazing work Musa and his team are doing in Kayseri. Thanks to all the generous Wales supporters who have once again enabled us to help children in need. We love following Wales away and on our travels it’s great to be able to leave a little bit of Wales behind.”
Wales fans clown about in Iceland – October 2024
As Wales travelled to Reykjavik for their Nations League match against Iceland, the Red Wall supporters were literally clowning about for charity. The generous fans collected money to support a troupe of clowns who work at the children’s hospital in the capital city and went along to say hello to the children.
Trúðavaktin are professional actors who have trained specifically in hospital clowning. Every week they visit the Barnaspítali Hringsins hospital in Reykjavik to entertain children in the day unit, intensive care and the children’s emergency room. The role of the clowns is to bring positive energy to the hospital environment and to create short memorable and joyful moments in often difficult situations.
Agnes Wild from Trúðavaktin said, ‘We have been raising money to print cards with pictures of the clowns for children to collect and also to make a fun board game that is easy to play in a hospital bed. The cards have pictures of clowns pulling strange faces and the child needs to copy the face to ask for the card. It’s a very funny game that can help lighten the mood in the hospital when the clowns aren’t there. Trúðavaktin is entirely run on fundings from charities, so we are very thankful for the support that Gôl Cymru! has given us and the children.’
Ashton Adams from Gôl Cymru! said, ‘It was a true pleasure to have the opportunity to visit a group of people that work so hard to help those who need the help. We at Gôl Cymru! always like to make an impact on the world wherever we go and here is no different. Iceland is a wonderful place with wonderful values and it’s a real privilege to help out with this!’
Back to International Duty – September 2024
It was back to school for children across Europe in September as the Wales football fans travelled to Montenegro for the national team’s game in Nikšić. They donated goods worth up to €1,000 to Dom Bijela in the coastal city of the same name – the country’s only institution that provides support to children without parental care and who need developmental assistance.
This is the third time that Gôl has worked with the centre in Bijela, having visited the facility in September 2011 and having brought over four children from the institution to Wales later that year for the return fixture.
The fans spent over €400 on clothing for children with severe illnesses and bought equipment and goods to assist the beneficiaries with their return to school .
Rhys Hartley, from Gôl Cymru said, “It’s great to revisit a team with whom we have already built up a great relationship. The institution does some fantastic work and it was great to see the support they offer to underprivileged children.”
A spokesperson for Dom Bijela reiterated their thanks to Wales fans, saying, “Once again, we sincerely thank Wales fans for their generous donation to our children. As most children are of school-going age, the goods provided will go a long way to helping them in the upcoming school year.”
Gôl Cymru in Slovakia – June 2024
The day after our draw against Slovakia we visited a children’s sanatorium in Trnava with a donation of €500. The facility offers care and rehabilitation to children between the ages of 3-6 who suffer from mobility and respiratory issues.
The Wales fans were welcomed with open arms. The centre director, Mrs. Zvonarova, said, “Just as important as the financial gift you are giving, it’s worth the world to us that you care and are giving the children hope that they can grow up and travel like you.”
Gôl Cymru’s Thomas Griffiths said, “I was humbled to see the facilities and care given. All the children had smiles on their faces, which is a testament to the fantastic and dedicated work of the staff there. We hope that our contribution goes some way to helping them continue with their great work.”