England star Wayne Rooney has donated a pair of his worn football boots to a local specialist school whose students suffer with severe learning difficulties.
The signed Nike HyperVenom Colourway boots will be auctioned at the annual Christmas Fair hosted by Redbridge High in Fazakerley in December to raise money and awareness for the secondary school.
Head Teacher of Redbridge High School, Paul Cronin, spoke to JMU Journalism about how the boots came to be on the school’s list of Christmas prizes.
He said: “The offer of the boots came via one of our parent governors, through a personal friend who knows the Rooney family and has supported the school with fundraising in the past.
“This is the second time Wayne has supported the school by offering a signed item.
“Wayne and [wife] Coleen are well known for their charitable work for charities associated with supporting young people with learning disabilities and associated medical difficulties, in particular their support for Claire House, which is used by many of our pupils and their families for respite care.”
Redbridge High School cares for pupils with severe learning difficulties aged 11 to 19. Many of the students have additional conditions such as autism, sensory impairments and physical disabilities which require daily medical support for their needs.
Parent governor to the school who managed to secure the boots, Angela Billington, expressed her delight with Rooney’s donation.
She said: “Last year he gave us one of the England shirts he’d worn during the South Africa World Cup in 2010, which was very popular. Now that he’s captain of the England team, I’m sure the boots will prove even more so.
“I’m told that Wayne remembered giving the England Shirt to Redbridge High School last year and was really pleased to be able to help us out again. It’s nice that he remembered us and I’m sure all of us parents would like to thank him very much for his generosity.”
Plans for a new purpose-built school building in July 2015 are underway, with the focus of current fundraising efforts targeted towards the purchase of playground equipment which are specific to the needs of young people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties.
This year’s raffle will be drawn at the Christmas Fair, held at Redbridge High on December 4th, 2014 from 10am.
For more information on the raffle, email [email protected] or to donate, text XJUM14 followed by the amount you wish to donate to 70070.