School News
Hulme Sporting the New Kit at the ISFA Sixes, Chigwell
Hulme Sports Teams Partner Francis House Hospice
News posted: 22-09-2009
Oldham Hulme Grammar Schools are following the example of Aston Villa and Barcelona in supporting a children’s charity on their football shirts. Hulme have taken the unusual step of supporting a charitable cause in preference to a commercial organisation by advertising Francis House Children’s Hospice. The decision to support the North West children’s hospice was suggested by former Latin Master, Bernard Counsell, who spent his entire 37 year teaching career at Hulme. To mark his 50 year involvement with Hulme football the school teams are starting the new season sporting the Francis House emblem on their shirts. Hulme Old Boy and Chief Executive of the North West Children’s Hospice, Rev. David Ireland, is delighted the school are making such a generous offer. He said: “Bernard’s fifty years supporting the school’s sports teams is a remarkable achievement and this passion and enthusiasm is now being taken a step further in the support of Francis House. The Hulme teams are helping to promote our name across the North West and their involvement will be of great benefit to the care and support of our children and their families”. Bernard Counsell had been a supporter of Francis House through regular donations for a number of years before he discovered one of his old pupils was running the charity. He said: “It was a wonderful surprise to hear of David Ireland’s involvement with Francis House and my memories of him at school added weight to my desire to support the charity. The thought of the Hulme sports teams spreading the word about the hospice wherever they go means a great deal to me and I’m very happy the school has agreed to this partnership.” The 1st XI kit displays the Francis House logo on the front and the website details on the back www.francishouse.org.uk As well as the football teams the new cricket whites and rugby kits will also show the charity’s branding and eventually all the school teams will follow. Two top teams, the Premiership’s Aston Villa and the European Champions, Barcelona, are two clubs who have also supported charities in this way – Acorns Children’s Hospice with Aston Villa and UNICEF through Barcelona.
