As part of the Club’s Community Development remit, Sporting Fingal’s Community Development Manager and first team player Conan Byrne organised a charity to trip to Zambia at the end of the 2009 season.

Byrne, along with two students from Balbriggan Community College and two from St. Joseph’s Secondary School, Rush, together with two teachers, undertook the journey, having raised over €30,000 for the charity involved.

The group was mainly working with children with physical and mental disabilities, visiting physiotherapy sessions where children and infants with illnesses such as Cerebral Palsy were being treated. The group interacted with the kids, playing football and teaching them other games, offering some respite from the harsh conditions in which they live.

Speaking after the trip, Conan said “Zambia was a life-changing experience for everyone that went. I wouldn't be able to put into words how tough life is for people there. It's complete poverty but hopefully we have been able to offer some respite to that.

“Sister Cathy Crawford has been out there for 16 years and is the architect of all that is good within the Cheshire Home in Mongu where we stayed for the duration of the trip. We were working with children with physical and mental disabilities and we got some insight into the tough conditions and the way they live their lives.”

“We insisted the pupils kept diaries to describe how they felt on a day-to-day basis so it's going to be great to have those to look back on.”

“In the coming months, we’ll be visiting numerous schools and reporting on the work we undertook, trying to raise awareness of the problems there and to encourage others to get involved too.”