CAS Trust Member Paul Breen highlights The Charlton Athletic Community Trust's work with the Charlton Upbeats, including their upcoming fundraising evening.
Though Charlton has endured the worst possible season, and the worst possible week imaginable, there is reason for those of us who care about the club to remain hopeful. One source of pride has to be the club’s work in the community, and the sustained efforts of The Charlton Athletic Community Trust to give something back to the region and the community.
One of the most distinctive ways in which the CACT makes a contribution is in its work with the Charlton Upbeats. This is a sports based programme and club for people with Down’s Syndrome, and was recently celebrated with a sponsored walk plus activity day at The Valley before the Derby County game on April 16th. This is a day held with such esteem by supporters that there were no protests against the owners arranged for the afternoon. This shows the power that The Upbeats programme has in terms of transcending the politics of the present.
On Sunday 8th May Charlton Athletic Community Trust are holding a fundraising quiz night for The Upbeats programme in The Valley’s North Stand. Doors open at 6pm and tickets are 25 pounds per person, with a curry buffet included. The maximum number of people per table is TEN, but there is no requirement to be part of a table before you come along. There are plenty of tables looking for members at this stage and there is even a chance that you could find yourself spending the evening in the company of club legends from the olden days.
More details are provided at www.cact.org.uk or you can book tickets through Lee Simmons on the mobile number 07968984468 or the email upbeatsquiz@hotmail.co.uk.
Amongst the tables looking for prospective members is my own, so I would be delighted to hear from anyone who wants to come along and join in. You can email me at thecharltonman@gmail.com and if there are more than ten prospective members we can split up into two teams. The more the merrier and the event is for a really good cause. I attended my first quiz last spring, knowing very little about The Upbeats programme, and found it to be an excellent night.
Of course there is one significant difference in this year and last. We did not have the same level of opposition to the owners last time around and the same depth of feeling relating to their mismanagement of the club. We had also not experienced the debacle of the Bournemouth food and drink vouchers, or the growing call for supporters to boycott the match day catering outlets. I have not purchased a single item of food or drink at the Valley this entire season. However I am not going to let that stop me from supporting The Upbeats and the fine work of Charlton Athletic Community Trust. I wouldn’t boycott a family wedding because I hated the owners of the hotel that was hosting the reception and that is why I am supporting this quiz night and encouraging others to do the same.
The Upbeats are part of a broader Charlton family that transcends the issue of ownership issues. The players and their families will be here, whether at the club or in the Charlton area, long after the present owners are gone. That’s because Charlton is a part of the player’s lives and their communities. It’s built into the fabric of their whole lifetimes, and The Upbeats has changed the lives of players and families in a way that we cannot even begin to put a financial value upon. But at the same time I do know that some people will find it hard to show any kind of endorsement to our present owners. I respect that and am sure there are ways around it, but I’m not letting that stop me from supporting a worthwhile event.
If anyone wants to join my team get in touch or if you want to form your own then contact Lee Simmons on 07968984468 or through the email upbeatsquiz@hotmail.co.uk.
Can’t guarantee we’ll win but hoping to keep out of the bottom 3 at least!!