Community Notes v Hemel Hempstead Town

In case you missed the programme on Saturday, here's what our Community Lead, Rob Hyneman, had to say.

Hello and welcome to today’s game!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, today is an extra special day at Champion Hill. Today is our official charity partner day for 2019. This season Dulwich Hamlet joined up with the local charity Redthread to promote and raise awareness of the fantastic work they do. Redthread is a dynamic youth work charity that for 20 years has strived to offer young people vital support through innovative and engaging health and education programmes.

Redthread was our chosen charity partner this season as Dulwich Hamlet FC recognises the importance and the value of the work that Redthread carry out. We are delighted to be able to show our support for a charity, which not only does great work, but started in the local area. Unfortunately, barely a day goes past without a report in the press about a young person being involved in violence. This is an issue that London, especially Southwark, needs to face up to and tackle. We as a football club have a part to play in this and today is the start of what we hope will be a wider piece of work within the community.

An example of the fantastic work of Redthread is best summed up in the case study below. This is a real case (with the names changed) which was delivered by the Redthread staff at King’s College Hospital.

Redthread Case Study – Kings College Hospital

Last year, Omar was seriously injured in a deliberate road traffic collision. He suffered multiple fractures in his legs and significant scarring to the rest of his body. Shortly after coming in, Redthread met him in the resuscitation area of A&E at King’s College Hospital and he consented to follow up support. After major surgery, he was admitted to a ward where he spent the next two weeks. We visited regularly and were able to gain a rapport with Omar - who was happy for us to arrange a home visit once he was discharged.

It was great to get to know him whilst in hospital and it was refreshing to see the camaraderie he shared with his fellow patients (some of whom were injured in the same incident) and medical staff. We discussed his plans for discharge and there were a number of practical concerns to consider with his limited mobility. Previously a keen footballer, Omar had a very real prospect of never being able to walk again. Luckily, he has a very supportive family who were able to care for his needs once back at home.

We also discussed Omar’s financial situation as he was no longer able to work. Previously he had been in hospitality, working within a ‘zero hours’ contract. This provided him with no protection or sick pay in the event of such unforeseen circumstances. We completed a ‘criminal injuries compensation authority’ claim in the hospital. During the subsequent home visit, we spent an hour on the phone negotiating an employment support allowance claim. After an arduous process in which various pieces of evidence had been submitted, the allowance was granted after a couple of months.

Omar undertook a number of gruelling physiotherapy sessions both at home and back at King’s. We accompanied him to some of those appointments over the following months. It was great to see him gradually improving with each visit and we began to notice an increase in weight bearing on his feet.
During our most recent phone call, Omar said he was able to walk again and no longer needs crutches. He said ‘I couldn’t have done it without the support of everyone in the hospital”. The plan is to return to work and fully resume the physical activities he was used to doing.

Today will see a range of fundraising activities before, during and after the match. To mark the day, we have also commissioned a special one off kit for the match. Dulwich Hamlet’s home shirt today incorporates the red of Rethread and the iconic pink of The Hamlet. After the match the shirts will be available through a closed auction. This is a fantastic opportunity for any football fan to own a unique part of Dulwich history whilst supporting a great cause at the same time. For more information about how to get your hands on one of these commemorative shirts, please check the club website or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Finally, I’d like to pass on my thanks to the Redthread staff, in particularly Mairi Wilson and George Parnavelas, for working with the club to make today happen.

I hope you enjoy the game today and are able to give generously to a worthy cause.

Rob Hyneman
DHFC Community Lead
Twitter https://twitter.com/DHFC_Community
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.