MFC continued their 'Community Champions' initiative with a visit to Stockton-based charity The Shaw Trust. Boro stars Chris Killen, Emanuel Pogatetz and Rhys Williams met and interacted with young people with learning difficulties, and undertook a series of challenges.
Chris Killen pitted his cooking technique against Boro chef Howard Archer, while Pogatetz and Williams went head to head in first a potato-planting experience, and then a race to complete three wooden bird boxes.ComeOnBoro.com's Elle Brunton reports:
The Shaw Trust Stockton Project, backed by the Council, helps people with learning difficulties receive training and employment in an everyday working environment.
Shaw Trust leader Graham Barker and his team provide horticultural training through the Grangefield Gardening Project, where clients grow and sell plants and vegetables for sale to visitors.
The organisation also has over 60 gardening and maintenance contracts ranging from residential gardens, nursing homes and churchyards.
In addition clients, who are referred by Stockton's health and social care team, receive training in a wide range of other skills, including retail, administration and catering.
The players arrived and were treated to a viewing of the Shaw Trust's new dvd, which was created and edited by the members of staff and clients in just week, to show what the Shaw Trust does.
Many of the staff at the trust used to volunteer until they were offered paid employment.
One member of staff, David, is a Boro season ticket holder who also wrote the application which won the trust the visit from the players.
Boro chef Howard Archer had not arrived by this time, and Chris Killen was confident this meant the pro had "bottled it!" in the face of Killen's obviously superior cooking skills.
Then it was time to get down to some work. Pogi and Rhys were each given a team of helpers, a spade and wheelbarrows full of soil and shown how to plant potatos in tyres, which is an energy saving method as the tyres are recycled and the potatos do not require digging back up.
Despite the majority of staff and clients of the trust proudly displaying Boro merchandise, there was one fan sporting the familiar black and white stripes of our nearest neighbours.
"Anyone can be on my team" said Pogatetz, "Except for him [pointing at the Newcastle fan] he can work on his own!"
Rhys had a bit of trouble with which end the potatos were supposed to go in...but soon got the hang of the digging rhythm and should in fact have won the challenge, as he completed his tyre planting faster than Pogi's team. However the judge was part of Pogatetz' team and awarded victory to the Austrian.
We were then ushered inside where Boro chef Howard Archer had sneaked in, and he and Chris Killen were given a bag full of the same ingredients and each given half an hour to produce two plates of food. Ready Steady Cook!
While the 'chefs' were getting to grips with their menus, it was time for another challenge for Rhys and Pogi.
This time it was a Generation Game woodwork challenge, as both players were shown how to hammer and nail some wooden pieces together to create bird feeders to hang in the trees.
This time, Rhys was the victor, despite looking rather worried when handed the hammer, and managing to hammer one of the pieces the wrong way round initially!
Both players then signed one of the boxes they had made each.
Rhys said he enjoyed the event, but was adamant that he had won both challenges.
"The first one was fixed! he exclaimed in mock outrage. "We won that! But it was good fun to be down here with everyone."
When I commented that he did not look too comfortable with the woodwork challenge but had at least avoided hitting his hands with the hammer, he replied: "I'm lucky footballers don't need their thumbs!"
"I think it's just the weather that's putting off, but I smashed that one!"
Pogi and Rhys then joined a panel of staff and volunteers to judge the winner of Ready Steady Cook. In the end chef Howard Archer was victorious, but it was close, with the players having the swing vote.
Shaw Trust were one of three local charities who won a Boro visit together with a shirt signed by the first team and 10 tickets for the club's final home game with Coventry City.
Norton charity Daisy Chain and Middlesbrough's Sunnyside Primary School also won visits from Boro players, who have also made special appearances at three major MFC in the Community events.
Runners-up were Spennymoor-based cerebral palsy charity Heel to Toe, Laurence Jackson School of Guisborough and Captain Cook Primary School in Marton, Each will receive a Boro shirt signed by the first team squad.
"There is always lots to do on the Project," said Graham, "And we are thrilled that we have won Chris, Rhys and Manny as volunteers for the day. Everyone is so excited and can't wait to kick off the day!"
If you would like to support the work that Shaw Trust does to help disabled and disadvantaged people find work and achieve independence, please visit their website: www.shaw-trust.org.uk/support_us
Alternatively, if you require any landscape gardening or general garden maintenance, please contact Graham Barker on 01642 670731.
Boro stars have made more than 400 community appearances over the past 12 months, while the club's community project is one of the biggest and best in the country.
First published on www.ComeOnBoro.com on 23-4-10
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