Rugby Club RC88 Web | Page 54

St Helens St Helens FOLLOW US ONLINE TWITTER.COM/RUGBYCLUBMAG community in the by gone era. Although this café is aimed at people who are suffering from a debilitating illness there are number who come long just because they are lonely and see it as a way of meeting other people. Whilst the person who is suffering from dementia is taking part in our activities the carer can get some well-deserved respite and just as importantly, help. We have a range of guests who come along to offer support and advice with tips and aids to assist. The assistance covers a multitude of subjects covering financial advice, practical aids for use in the home and our latest guest from Merseyside Police offering a call barring aid and fraud advice to the group. During the time we have set up the café the carers have set up their own support group, sharing contact details and best practice advice. There is always someone at the end of a phone for a fellow carer when they need it most. This isn’t possible to provide for from a health care system and has proved on numerous occasions to be invaluable. We know that this café touches the lives of our own community and we have a number of our past players who come along to the group. Past players who are suffering themselves and past players who are caring for a loved one. This makes us proud to feel that we’re providing support for people who were once our idols and can support them when they need us. Our Ambitions Our current ambition is to keep on growing and increasing our reach within the community. We also look to increase the number of projects that we deliver to help a variety of individuals in our area. We have also seen an increase in followers on our social media outlets. We hope to keep on increasing in size and popularity to ensure that we are a well-known name within our very own community. Eamonn McManus in Profile Born in Haydock and one of four children, Eamonn McManus attended West Park Grammar School before studying law at St John’s College, Cambridge. He did his articles at Norton Rose Fulbright, in London, but in 1982, fate decreed that he was to become an investment banker with HSBC in Hong Kong. His rise was rapid; appointed head of Asian Corporate Finance [1993], he was also a member of the firm’s Global Investment Banking Committee [1997]. Eamonn was also named as one of the top 100 finance professionals in the world by Global Finance Magazine at this time. Quite an accolade. He played rugby for Cambridge University and Saracens, before representing Hong Kong, winning 30 caps. In some games, he captained the side. Early retirement beckoned in 2000 and he returned to blighty so that his two children with his wife, Betty, Anne and Shaun, should be educated back in the UK. Always a Saints’ fan, Eamonn had entertained the team on a stop-over in Hong Kong on their way to a World Club Challenge meeting with Brisbane Broncos in 1997. When he returned to the UK, Eamonn was invited to join the board and was under no illusions as to the size of the task when he took over as Chairman, in November 2001. There has been much on-field success during Eamonn’s tenure, with a World Club Championship [2007], 3 Grand final and 5 Challenge Cup victories, together with 8 League Leaders’ Shields – the latter a true measure of a team’s consistency throughout a season. But Eamonn’s most impressive legacy has been the new stadium. It took over ten years to achieve, involving complicated financial investment and diligent project management. It is something for all fans to be immensely proud of: Our Stadium, for Our Team in Our Town! Eamonn is passionate about raising the profile of his hometown in other ways and is also Chairman of the St Helens Economy Board, hoping to encourage much-needed economic re-generation. “There are so many great businesses in St Helens borough,” he said recently. “And we need to tell people their stories to create inspiration and to help raise aspirations and pride.” 54 Issue 88 Are you ready to take the first BYTE? For over 11 years smokers have trusted Totally Wicked to provide unrivalled empathy, expertise and premium UK manufactured vaping products to successfully start and maintain a smoke free life. With the benefit of their newly launched Totally Wicked BYTE product, perhaps you could empower a smoker to transform their life today. 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