Football lends a hand in providing GHA support

As the football community has changed its focus to helping stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the Gibraltar FA has joined the efforts already seen across FIFA and UEFA, with the local organisation using its resources to help in the supply line for the GHA.
With all football activity having come to a halt, and although the local sport now lives on the prospect of an uncertain future for its members, the Gibraltar Football Association is no fully focused on supporting the community in to Gibraltar.
“With the uncertainty that exists due the global spread of the Coronavirus, our strategy is to try and assist where possible and at all times following the crucial advice we are given by the relevant authorities,” said Gibraltar FA officials yesterday.
Liaising closely with the GHA and Public Health Gibraltar they have found possible ways to provide significant support claiming that they were “in awe at the amazing work being done.”
The association has since made a donation of £5,000 to the GHA for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all front line health workers. This after they identified the importance of having maximum protection from the virus in order to properly treat those infected.
Additionally, on Tuesday morning, they delivered new iPads to the GHA for them to distribute around their various sites and Hospital Wards.
“One of the harshest realities of this terrible pandemic is that COVID-19 patients are unable to have their families by their side whilst hospitalised. This applies to all other patients in our hospitals and our elderly community under the care of the GHA and the ERS, who in the current unfortunate circumstances, cannot enjoy the company and support of their families. These iPads will therefore be used for the purpose of facilitating this extremely important communication and much needed family time.”
Importantly they have also provided the GHA with supplies and materials that had been purchased and stocked for the many upcoming internationals, as well as assisting them by purchasing additional supplies as per their requirements, using the Gibraltar FA’s established supply channels.
This week would have marked an important time for Gibraltar’s football internationally with two friendly internationals and Under 21 qualifiers due to have taken place. None of which will now take place following the restrictions imposed internationally and locally as a global campaign to stop the spread of Covid-19 virus gets underway.
Speaking on the changes Gibraltar FA General Secretary Ivan Robba said:
“From the moment we suspended all competitions, we have redirected all our focus towards those in Gibraltar who need it the most during these times, and we will continue to do so until the final whistle has blown. The Gibraltar FA and all our members take social responsibility very seriously and we are aware that we can all provide meaningful assistance during these very difficult times. We therefore will continue to reach out to other bodies to offer our assistance. In the meantime, I take this opportunity of once again expressing our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all those incredible people out there fighting this awful disease on Gibraltar’s front line.”
The association has also been working with the education department to assist in children’s education by exploring ways to create football themed educational content. Also assisting in promoting awareness of GibSams and producing a campaign to keep its members aware of health campaigns such as the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it” and “Stay at Home” in which international players have participated in delivering the message.
Keeping also with what has become a community-wide support for the essential services they started this week with what they hope will be a weekly ‘Pizza Night’ where pizzas are distributed across all GHA and ERS sites for frontline staff.

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