Official Supporters Club members from around the world have demonstrated courage and community spirit in abundance to play their part in the heroic global effort to fight the virus.
From frontline NHS workers, to those helping their local community, there are many amazing people from within our Official Supporters Club family whose hard work and selfless dedication is keeping people safe and well.
Anchlesh Tekam, founder and Chair of our Nagpur branch in India, is just one of these heroes.
He is heavily involved in his local community as the organiser of the Slum Soccer Initiative to help combat homelessness and combines this with his day job as doctor, where he is currently working on the front line in the fight against COVID-19.
In Washington DC, Erika Wirebaugh of the Capital City Blues is also using her medical and healthcare knowledge to help those most in need.
A high school athletic trainer, Erika was redeployed at the start of the pandemic and her expertise has allowed her to fulfil several important roles.
Initially working in an urgent care call centre, where she advised the public on COVID-19 testing protocols, she has since worked in testing tents and most recently has been helping hospital patients who have been released from intensive care, but are not yet well enough to return home.
“When the schools shut down due to the pandemic, my employer sought alternative ways around our health system to deploy our team of 40 athletic trainers,” she explains.
“Most people would not expect to run into an athletic trainer at an urgent care centre or a hospital, but I feel fortunate to have leaders who know our skills and are advocating for us in our organization and beyond.
“We’ve been given an opportunity to showcase our abilities during this pandemic.”
Closer to home, Claire Cope of the Dukinfield branch has been going above and beyond with the efforts from her Stockport bakery, Nice Buns.
She has donated £1000 of bread to local hospitals and charities and, alongside this, has been making deliveries to people who are housebound due to self-isolating.
We feel that we should give back to the communities that we live in! So, with your help we have to date donated over £1000 worth of bread 👏👏 anyone needing help right now please email me personally at clairelouisecope@gmail.com and once again THANK YOU ❤ #alwaysbekind pic.twitter.com/TFRF9AwfrF
— Nice Buns Bakery (@NiceBunsBakers) April 28, 2020
The Stockton-on-Tees branch have been similarly charitable, setting up a just giving page in order to raise funds for the NHS, whilst in India, Erick Edwin Lyngdoh of the Shillong Cityzens has been keeping his fellow members spirits up with his commentaries of iconic City goals, performed in the local Khasi language.
Check out their pictures in the gallery below and don’t forget to share any photos of your branch/members during this time using #mancityosc on social media.
To find out where your nearest Official Supporters Club branch is, or, to find out how you can set one up, please visit: supportersclubs.mancity.com.
