It's Chris Roberts

We recently had a discussion with the Football Collective, a dedicated network of people who wish to bring critical debate to football – for those interested and involved in building football for the future. Through sharp analysis and research informed original reporting, they aim to provide a platform for thought provoking critical debate in football.

I appeared on a panel, along with fellow North Wales Dragons social responsibility adviser Hannah Roberts and a dear friend and fellow advocate of recreational activity, Gemma Whittaker of Infinity Initiatives, to discuss the benefits of recreational activity.

It was so good to share the benefits of recreational activity, of course in our case it was football.

We discussed the benefits to the Dragons players:

"We asked what's changed in your life due to being with the Dragons"? Everybody on the team revealed that they have a different reason for being there, and they all been affected and impacted positively".

We discussed the benefits to the Infinity Initiatives players:

"When we had done recreational activities, people thrived in that environment".

"It comes down to being part of something, being included, being part of the team".

The above is a common theme through every recreational team, whatever the sport, or whatever the adventure activity.

To see the whole of the discussion, please click on the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZna9vntmtQ&t=670s

See how you or your business could be the change to champion not corporate social responsibility, but human social responsibility: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/change-chris-roberts-/

See how a community football match made a difference: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-business-made-difference-charity-football-match-chris/

See the Dragons in action: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBoU3UjNSag

Chris Roberts is co-founder of the North Wales Dragons Community men’s and women’s Football Teams, helping to raise funds and awareness for good causes using recreational activity.

We were approached by a representative of a company of car parts suppliers in Manchester and asked if we would be willing to play football against them.

They told us the story about Bob, he was a colleague, at the end of every week there was nothing more to look forward to than a bacon or sausage butty, it was affectionately known as Fat Friday.

Unfortunately, Bob developed pulmonary fibrosis, a rare genetic condition meant that he was diagnosed in his forties, where this would be more of a common condition in those seventy plus.

The condition advanced so much that Bob required a lung transplant that never came, and the inevitable happened. So, his colleagues wanted to do something in his name, and also to help raise funds for the British Lung Foundation so they could do further research into Pulmonary Fibrosis.

The venue was booked and the match played, all in aid of the ‘Fat Friday Cup’. It was a fantastic day, attended by Bob’s wife, the rest of his family and friends and of course non playing colleagues too.

If ever there was a business who triggered their social responsibility policy, it was this one, their employees displayed a high degree of human social consciousness and brought their hearts to remember their colleague in a way that they all loved.

Not only that, the physical activity, mental wellness and the feel good factor knowing they were making a difference.

Chris Roberts is co-founder of the North Wales Dragons Community men’s and women’s Football Teams, helping to raise funds and awareness for good causes using recreational activity.

See the Dragons in action. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBoU3UjNSag

See how your business can use recreational activity to make a difference. – https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/change-chris-roberts-/

Whenever we travel across the UK, we know that we will stop for a drink along the way, or to get food, so we will always have a look to see what social enterprises are around that we can go to.

Liverpool for example, they have a cafe called The Brink which is a revolutionary venue that’s so much more than your usual café bar. They’ve taken alcohol out of the mix to provide a truly welcoming, creative and intelligent space where people from all backgrounds and walks of life can dine, hang out, socialise and relax.

Best of all, The Brink is a recovery social enterprise, which means that all their profits go directly back into the community to fund support for those who have suffered through alcoholism and addiction.

Another place in Liverpool is Homebaked, a community land trust and co-operative bakery situated on the boundary between the neighbourhoods of Everton and Anfield, just opposite Liverpool Football Club.

The project is co-owned and co-produced by people who live and work in the area. Starting from having saved an iconic neighbourhood bakery from demolition and developed it into a thriving community-run business, they are proposing to regenerate the high street ‘brick by brick and loaf by loaf’, using money that is spent in the neighbourhood to benefit their communities.

You see, I would much rather give my money to a social enterprise rather than to big corporate food or coffee chains, where all the profits go to senior staff or shareholders.

We should be supporting more of these enterprises and helping them to grow, I want to buy a coffee at a railway station from an enterprise that supports vulnerable people back into employment.

I want to stop in a layby with a sandwich from a shop that uses locally sourced ingredients and re-invests its profits in reducing food waste.

This is not pie in the sky thinking, it’s a pie in Homebaked thinking, it’s a butty in The Brink thinking, it’s the ‘We’re in this together’ thinking.

Next time you’re heading somewhere, check if there are any social enterprises you can call into on the way, you will help make a difference.

Chris Roberts is co-founder of the North Wales Dragons Community men’s and women’s Football Teams, helping to raise funds and awareness for good causes using recreational activity.

*See the Dragons in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBoU3UjNSag

*See how your business can use recreational activity to make a difference. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/change-chris-roberts-/

I was sent a couple of photographs taken of two football teams back in the sixties.

Having been around seven, eight or nine years old at the time, I remember some of the faces, they all worked in a local washing machine manufacturing plant and every Spring / Summer they would play against other teams in an inter-departmental football tournament.

My dad would play, he would go in goal, he was the weak link in the crack elite ‘Engineering’ side. Can always remember him in his white shorts and black polo neck jumper, he was like a cat … sleeping!

There are many things that hit home about these photos.

Firstly that I have been inspired by community football for over fifty years.

Secondly there is a social and economic thread through the teams, back then, the factory was run by Hotpoint, at that time it was the heart and soul of the town, thriving and provided much needed work in the area.

All those pictured will have had their worries, stuff they spoke about between themselves, to one another. The same issues we have today, although we are kinder to ourselves than we were back then by speaking more openly about things.

They will have shared the great times too, all those triumphs we celebrate in life.

They probably didn’t realise at the time what benefits they were receiving from playing, the economic and social aspect, the physical and the mental benefits.

The factory has now long gone, the teams have gone, the community spirit that the factory created in the town has gone, the revenue created in the town by the factory workers has gone and I imagine some of the players to be no longer with us.

Football brings people together, this has not changed, the community spirit created remains the same, the conversation we have with each other has changed, for the better, as it is more open, more accepting of inclusiveness and diversity.

On reflection, I am so proud to still be a part of the community football scene by being a part of the creation of the North Wales Dragons.

It was players like those above, along with my dad and my two boys who have been my inspiration to continue bringing communities together wherever possible.

Who would have thought that kicking a ball could make a difference in the world, no matter how small.

Read more about how you can use recreational activity for your community: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/change-chris-roberts-/

Yesterday I celebrated five years recovery since experiencing a heart attack. What a life lesson that was, five days in an intensive trauma unit, staring at a ceiling, listening to constant beeping, and anxiously questioning every sensation I was feeling in my body.

I had been involved in some amazing community work for six years prior to that event, but this episode was the catalyst to step everything up a little, and I like to think I have achieved that, with so much more to come.

I am humbled by some of the messages that I received yesterday, it shows what you're able to do if you get a few people together, to undertake recreational activity for charity.

Read more about how you can use recreational activity for your community: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/change-chris-roberts-/

"This is very inspiring Chris. It is also very sobering to think of what could have happened five years ago. The NHS is a marvelous institution & one that we must certainly cherish and support. We are very lucky to have it.

Your story is a reminder to live every day in the best way possible and you certainly do this through your involvement in, and contribution to, your community & society generally. You make every day count. This is something to aspire to - on that note, I’ll be on the pier to pier walk in October!

So, Happy Heart Attackiversary Chris. So pleased you’re here - you’ve made the world a better, kinder place. Keep up the good work".

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"It's fantastic to see so many good news stories, you must be extremely proud of your 'community family'.

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"The work you do for the community is brilliant and the help you have given me, keep up the great work".

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"What you have achieved and are doing is absolutely FANTASTIC…..really inspirational. The NHS did a great job 5 years ago keeping that ticker of yours going and you are certainly repaying that with all the work you are doing in the community. If a little bit of that rubs off on the rest of us, the world will be a far better place.

Thank you for being an inspiration".

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So use the heart you were blessed with, not only use it for some recreational activity where you can make a difference to your health, but use it to make a difference to others.