This year sees the start of a new charity partnership for Trauma & Orthopaedics Research Charity, TORC, with local football team, Saintfield United. The coaches and players of the club are keen to help the charity fund vital research to help improve the lives of people living with musculoskeletal injury or disease in Northern Ireland.
The partnership will aim not only to raise funds for TORC but to help equip coaches and players with training and warm-up methods to help prevent injury for youth players. TORC aim to develop this into an injury prevention program for Northern Ireland local sports clubs.
TORC is a small local charity based in Musgrave Park Hospital and they work with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and research staff to improve the provision of holistic care for all those with musculoskeletal injury or disease in Northern Ireland. The team are continuing their research with patients who have had hip and knee replacements. They are also now working with the orthopaedic trauma teams at the Royal Victoria Hospital on research projects involving patients with a range of fractures.
Alan Weir, Saintfield United Football Club Secretary commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with TORC and looking forward to raising money for the important work that the charity undertakes. Musculoskeletal injuries, and in particular knee injuries, are a frequent issue for football players, and it is our hope that the expert advice from TORC’s clinicians and research staff will help to reduce the risk of further injuries amongst our membership”.
On the 5th May we will see players and coaches from the football club take part in the Belfast City Marathon 2024 to raise funds and they also have plans to hold a charity football tournament at the end of the year.
Saintfield United Football Club is a cross-community football club based in Saintfield, Northern Ireland. The Club currently fields two adult teams in the National Amateur Football League. Due to an increase in membership, the club re-established a 3rd and 4th adult men’s team, both of which compete in the Newcastle and District Amateur Football League. At youth level, the club currently provides pathways for players from primary school all the way up to adult football. They operate a mini-soccer facility on Saturday mornings for primary school children, some of whom also participate in the Irish FA Small Sided Games Centre based in Downpatrick. For older children aged 11-17 we provide playing opportunities through the South Belfast Youth Football League.
Dr Janet Hill, Charity Director and Research Manager, added; “We look forward to kicking off a successful and thriving partnership with Saintfield United. This is the first time we’ve partnered with a football club and we hope it will have mutual benefit with TORC providing performance and injury prevention advice to the club from our clinical experts.”
