Academy give back with Lighthouse Foundation

Members of the Storm Academy recently joined RedZed staff in visiting the Lighthouse Foundation charity, where the players rolled up their sleeves to lend a hand, while also learning about the importance of giving back to their local community. 

Lighthouse Foundation provides young people who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, with the care and support they need to heal, thrive and achieve a lifelong sense of belonging. They create therapeutic homes and deliver tailored support programs to transform the lives of young people through their Lighthouse Homes, Foster Care & Family Support and Community care environments.

Storm Academy players spent the day helping sort and pack a large quantity of donated goods to assist those battling homelessness, while also interacting with the team at Lighthouse to learn more about youth homelessness. 

RedZed, a proud supporter of Lighthouse Foundation, helped facilitate the visit to give both staff and members of the Academy the chance to see firsthand the work the foundation does on a daily basis. 

Nathalie Brown, Corporate Partnerships Manager from Lighthouse Foundation said the opportunity to work alongside members of the Storm Academy was one she hoped could benefit the players and the Foundation. 

“Lighthouse relies on the generosity and the support of the community in order for us to provide programs and services to our young people and we are always looking to connect with people in the community,” Brown said. 

We were lucky enough to have members of the Academy come into one of our training spaces to learn about our model of care to help young people, all while assisting in sorting donations and providing some volunteering to help with some heavy lifting,

Nathalie Brown Lighthouse Foundation

Player Wellbeing Manager Brian Phelan said the opportunity for the players to be exposed to the challenges many face in everyday life is a good reminder to the privileged position they find themselves in.

“We were introduced by Storm’s Major Partner RedZed who have a longstanding relationship with both the club and the foundation, so it was a great opportunity for our young players to get involved,” Phelan said. 

“Seeing how young people can turn their lives around can be inspiring for some of our young guys and it offers them a chance to give back to the community as we are only down the road,” he said.