Foundation Fixture | Adam’s Story

As part of the build up to the Club’s dedicated Foundation Fixture, the Foundation is highlighting the stories of participants from across our programmes. This week, we are focusing on Adam Woodmason, a participant of both our Senior Blues and Walking Football sessions.

Adam, 49, has been severely sight impaired for the last five years, and suffered through the pandemic with social isolation. Coming to the Foundation’s settings, though, has helped him to feel more active and involved.

“The Senior Blues coffee mornings have been helpful,” Adam said, speaking at our Senior Blues session on 22 April.

“Coming out of lockdown and with my circumstances, being severely sight impaired, I’d had no interaction for the last three years, so it’s given me an outlet to get myself out and about and meeting people again.”

On the Walking Football sessions, Adam expressed how much he enjoys taking part in a session that has been accommodating of his circumstances.

“I’m attending the Walking Football sessions to raise my profile a little bit more, to get myself noticed out and about, to meet more people and to get interaction with the people who attend the sessions.

“I suffer with social anxieties so attending these sessions improves my self-esteem.”

“They are a very open group,” Adam added when asked what he would say to someone in similar circumstances to his own who might be unsure about attending the Senior Blues and Walking Football sessions.

“You always have a common ground with them because the majority of people who attend Senior Blues will be Town supporters.”

Our Senior Blues sessions run on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month, providing an inclusive environment for social inclusion and light physical activity whilst combatting loneliness which is a prevalent social issue within Suffolk, with over 130,000 residents of Suffolk feeling lonely at some point.

Walking Football provides an opportunity for those who are unable to partake in regular football to enjoy the physical and social benefits of playing the game. Running every Monday evening at Portman Road, the sessions are open to all.

The Club’s annual Foundation Fixture will take place on Saturday, 15 April for the home match with Charlton Athletic.

Foundation Fixture aims to raise awareness of the work Ipswich Town Foundation carries out in the community, whilst also providing a fundraising opportunity to allow the Foundation to continue to grow and make increased positive impact in the community.

As part of the event, supporters are encouraged to donate to the Foundation to help to improve and further grow the work carried out to support the community across the region. On the day, fans will be able to donate to the Foundation inside and around the ground through bucket collections which will include contactless devices for those looking to donate by card.

For more information on our Senior Blues and Walking Football sessions, please contact our Community Engagement Officer, Leanne Smith at leanne.smith@itfc.co.uk.