September 2025: Gôl Cymru! in Kazakhstan
The day Wales played in Kazakhstan, the supporters’ charity were guests of honour at a special celebration in the capital city, Astana. Gôl Cymru! donated £1500 to help build a salt therapy room for children with disabilities at the Bereke Astana rehabilitation centre.
While at the hospital the fans took part in a traditional Kazakh ceremony for Rayana, one of the children with special needs. Tusaykeser is a local tradition when a young child, usually one year old, takes their first confident steps.
During the ceremony an honored guest cuts a symbolic rope made of thread that is tied around the child’s legs. This act represents helping the child step into life freely and successfully, wishing them a strong, prosperous and happy future. After the thread is cut, the child is encouraged to walk towards a small selection of objects and choose one, each representing a possible path in life such as a book, musical instrument, coin or tool.
Since Rayana was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, she just started taking her first steps at four years old. Gôl Cymru! representatives were asked to cut the thread during the ceremony for her.
The Director of Bereke Astana said, “We express our heartfelt gratitude for Gôl Cymru’s generous donation to support children with disabilities in Kazakhstan. This act of kindness and support will always be cherished. Bereke Astana is honoured to have your support and we are truly grateful for the warmth, care and sincere involvement of the Wales fans. This compassion and willingness to help are a true example of humanity and social responsibility.”
Bereke Astana supports more than 950 children with disabilities, including those with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other developmental, speech and psychological disorders. Its six branches across the city mean its services are accessible to families in different districts.
The salt room Gôl Cymru! funded offers a natural, non-invasive way to support the children’s overall well-being and health. It helps clear the respiratory system and eases symptoms of allergies or asthma, which are common in many neurodivergent children. The calming environment of a salt room also supports sensory relaxation.
Tim Hartley from Gôl Cymru! said, “We were humbled to be asked to be part of the Tusaykeser ceremony for Rayana. It was a privilege to be part of this local custom and to meet all the children and staff at Bereke. Our thanks go once again to the fantastic Red Wall fans who, through their generosity, have raised money so that we can help the children at the centre.”
The UK Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mrs Sally Axworthy MBE, said, “I am delighted by the contribution Wales fans made on their visit to Astana. Their generous donation to support children at Bereke Astana reflects the warm relationship and goodwill between Wales and Kazakhstan.”
July 2025: Wales fans get shirty in Switzerland!
As the Wales women’s football team reached their first major tournament finals in Switzerland, the Red Wall supporters collected money to support a girls team in the small town of Founex between Nyon and Geneva. US Terre Sainte FC has worked really hard over the last few years to build their girls programme. The club is open to every girl, whatever their age, no matter their ability. It now has 9 teams and runs the second largest girls programme in Switzerland.
Gôl Cymru! paid for new kits for the under 12 girls team as well as training bibs and footballs. US Terre Sainte FC has refugees playing in the younger teams and they still rely heavily on fundraising. The girls’ parents shoulder most of the burden but they are struggling to maintain so many teams and do not want to turn anyone away.
Phil French who organises the girls’ football teams in Founex said he wanted us to pass on to the fans how much our €1500 meant to them. ‘We have to fundraise for every penny and it’s usually through cake sales, cookie sales and table-top sales so it’s a long process. This donation of a full home and away kit for the team is so generous and everyone associated with the team sends a massive thank you. Merci.’
Greg Whibley from US Terre Sainte FC said, ‘A huge thank you to the Wales supporters. The girls are so happy with their new kits! We feel very honored to have such an admirable charity help .’
James Squire, the UK ambassador to Switzerland said, ‘It is great to see Gôl Cymru’s involvement with the women’s game at grass roots level and we welcome their support of US Terre Sainte Feminine – who in pursuit of excellence and development now compete in boys-only leagues in both U14 and U16 teams. Like the Dragons and Lionesses they are more than just athletes. They are pioneers. And they’re inspiring a generation not just to play, but to believe.’
Gôl Cymru! was proud to be a small part of the Wales women’s team’s historic Euro finals story. When the men’s team reached the finals in France in 2016 the fans charity made donations and visited a children’s hospital with gifts and toys. The ‘Red Wall’ was given an “outstanding contribution” award from Uefa for their part at those Euros. Now the whole nation had a chance to cheer Angharad James and the girls on as they faced some of the best teams in the world.
Helen Lucitt from Gôl Cymru! said, ‘We were really pleased to be able to support the under 12’s with these kits. To have nine girls women’s teams at one club is an achievement in itself. We made our first donation around a women’s game when we qualified for the Euros in Ireland last year. This was an amazing tournament and a major boost for women’s football.’
Gôl Cymru in Belgium – June 2025
Red Wall building bricks in Belgium thanks to Gôl Cymru’s donations to children’s charity
As Wales’s men’s football team got back to business for World Cup qualification, the supporters’ charity Gôl Cymru! too has swung back into action.
On the morning of the big game against Belgium the Welsh fans visited the Kids Care organisation at the Queen Fabiola Children’s Hospital near the Heysel Stadium in Brussels.
Gôl Cymru! donated 1000 Euros along with toys for the children who are being looked after at the hospital. Some of the money will be spent on care for premature babies and some on activities for the children while they are receiving treatment.
Kids’ Care was created in 1991 to help sick children and their families as well as to offer them the best medical care. With the support of healthcare teams, they promote and financially support numerous initiatives.
Kids’ Care is involved daily in all aspects linked to the children’s isolation, physical and psychological, imposed by illness. It has helped the management of the green areas, brought in entertainment with clowns, relaxation with massages, decorated rooms and classes and paid for various games.
Stefan Dekeijser from Kids’ Care said: “We are so pleased that Wales supporters have thought of our organisation and want to help the sick children. We have 30 projects at present, all dealing with child patients, most of them in the Queen Fabiola Children Hospital near the Heysel.
“This donation will be a great help to us and the children who will benefit from it. We support clowns who help make children laugh; we also have aquariums around the hospital and a theatre where children can relax away from their treatment. Thank you once again Wales.”
Neil Dymock from Gôl Cymru! said, “We have travelled to Brussels many times and have always had a superb welcome there.
“It is great to be able to support Kids Care and the outstanding work they are doing at the Queen Fabiola Children’s Hospital.
“The Red Wall fans have once again been very generous raising money so that we can help the children and it was good to meet them all while we were in Belgium and seeing first-hand the work being done at the hospital.”
