Vertu Boosts Support For The Fans Museum
Award-winning automotive retailer Vertu has boosted its support for The Fans Museum as the charity prepares to open a second major site in the North East.
The Fans Museum currently operates from a base in Sunderland that houses an extensive collection of football memorabilia. Items range from match-worn shirts belonging to some of the most famous names in the game through to trophies and medals from iconic matches, alongside personal keepsakes donated by fans and a collection of classic programmes.
Founded by Michael Ganley, The Fans Museum exists not only to celebrate football heritage and bring the beautiful game to life, but also to support community groups across the North East and beyond.
A Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer donated to the museum by Vertu in 2020 has enabled Michael and his team of volunteers to take the collection on the road, visiting schools, care homes, and community centres to support mental wellbeing and help reduce social isolation.
The museum also runs dedicated mental health and autism hubs, alongside an inclusive football league designed to give people with disabilities the opportunity to play the game.
As part of its ongoing expansion, The Fans Museum is opening a new hub at Prince Bishops Place in the heart of Durham, and is developing a new initiative that will see a series of memory boxes distributed to community settings around the country.
Designed specifically to support older people, including those living with dementia, the memory boxes contain carefully selected football memorabilia from different eras and are intended to spark conversation, stimulate memories and encourage interaction.
To continue its support, Vertu has covered the costs of re-striping the Mercedes to give it a vibrant new look and also has made a financial contribution towards the operating costs of the new Durham site.
Michael Ganley, Founder of the Fans Museum, said: “The support of Vertu has been crucial to our work in recent years, with the van allowing us to take our collection out to communities across the North East – and beyond.
“At an exciting time for The Fans Museum as we prepare to open our Durham site, we’re delighted to strengthen our ties with one of the leading businesses in the region as we continue our work to support people of all ages through the power of the beautiful game.”
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu Motors plc, said: “The Fans Museum is not only a fantastic project for football fans, but also carries out vital community work nationwide.
“We are delighted to support Michael and the museum’s excellent team of volunteers, so they can continue to make a real difference for those who need it most.”