A unique football club founded in Ashton has been given a 'Communitea' brew boost thanks to Lancashire Tea.

Manchester Angels United Football Club trains at Great Academy Ashton and was set up by 13 dads who were part of an online community of parents who had suffered baby or child loss.

During lockdown the group supported each other online and then in October 2020 created the football team for the dads in the group to meet and play football.

The group has now grown to around 30 and plays other charity teams every other weekend up and down the country, each team member playing with the name of the child or children that they have lost on their shirt.

“It’s the club that actually no-one wants to be part of,” said co-founder Oliver Monk from Ashton.

“We’re a big family of incredibly diverse individuals and families with one thing in common. All the travelling and organisation for the matches is self-funded and so the grant from Lancashire Tea will make a big difference as we continue to expand the team.”

Stephen Knight, managing director of Lancashire Tea, said: “When we heard about the Angels United team, they were very obvious recipients for one of our new ‘Commnunitea Grants’ which are there to support people who are coming together to connect and help each other through shared experiences.

“We’ve also made sure they now have plenty of tea to drink at matches so other family members can connect over a brew. The work of the team is incredibly humbling and the strength of this community group is actually quite hard to put into words.”

The Lancashire Tea team called in to one of the Angels’ training nights at Great Academy to present the group with a cheque for £300.

The team’s main aim is to break the silence around babies and child loss and to let people know, dads in particular, that they are not alone and that there is help out there.

To join the team, age, ability and fitness are not important as it’s all about coming together to support each other and the chance to kick a football with others that understand.

Angels, which has plans to become a charity in the future, will be developing events and meetings that include the whole family including mums, siblings and grandparents, who are often excluded from the offer of support when a child dies.

They also have ambitions to extend the Angels United teams across the UK so that other bereaved fathers can experience the unity and support that 90 minutes on a football pitch with others can bring. To get in touch and to find out more visit https://angelsunitedfc.co.uk or @angelsunited

Other Lancashire-based organisations or charities and support groups that may want to apply for a Communitea grant are encouraged to drop Lancashire Tea a line at communitea@lancashiretea.co.uk 

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