Members of the men’s first team joined forces with Makaton Mondays to record a special festive performance
A Belfast football club is marking the festive season with a unique and heart-warming collaboration spreading inclusive Christmas cheer.
Members of the men’s first team from Glentoran Football Club joined forces with Makaton Mondays creator Claire Thompson to record a special festive performance using the inclusive communication programme.
The social media video sees several first-team players performing the Christmas classic ‘Santa Claus is coming to town’ using Makaton, a system that combines signs, symbols and speech to support understanding and expression for people with learning disabilities and/or communication difficulties.
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Claire Thompson, daughter of much-loved Glentoran volunteer Davy Stewart and a passionate advocate for inclusive communication, launched Makaton Mondays to help make Makaton more accessible through weekly, bite-sized tutorials shared across her social media channels.
Makaton is widely used across schools, therapeutic settings, care services and community organisations, helping individuals build confidence, express themselves and feel fully included.
By combining signs, visual symbols and spoken words, it provides a flexible way for people with communication differences to connect with those around them and participate more independently in everyday life.
Claire said: “This collaboration honestly meant the world to me. My dad, Davy Stewart, had such a close bond with Glentoran and the club was always an important part of my life growing up.
“Dad brought me to the games from when I was a child, so it has always felt like home. Being able to come back and share something I care so deeply about made this really special.
“And honestly, what better way to shine a light on Makaton than by having Glentoran players, people who are genuine role models in our community, help spread the message.
“I also want to thank Declan for being such an advocate for this project and for encouraging his players to get involved. They were all brilliant from the very start. They threw themselves into learning the signs, had plenty of laughs along the way and genuinely wanted to make Christmas that little bit more accessible for everyone.
“It has been one of the real highlights of my year and I am so thankful for the heart, energy and enthusiasm they brought to it.”
Glentoran participated in the collaboration in recognition of the important role football plays in promoting inclusion and strengthening community ties. The players were eager to support Claire’s work and to help raise awareness of the importance of accessible communication during the festive season.
Declan Devine, First Team Manager at Glentoran, said it was a privilege for players and staff to be involved in this project with Claire.
“She is doing incredible work through Makaton Mondays and the impact she is making is something we are very proud to support.
“Football has a unique ability to bring people together and if we can help make communication more accessible for even one person, especially at this time of year, then it is absolutely worthwhile.
“I am proud of the players for the enthusiasm and respect they showed and delighted that Glentoran could play a small part in promoting such an important message.”
Colin Jess, Chairman of Glentoran, said: “At Glentoran, we are determined to make a positive impact in our community and promoting inclusivity is central to that.
“Football has the power to reach people in a way few other things can and projects like this remind us of the responsibility we have as a club.
“Claire’s work through Makaton Mondays is inspiring and we were delighted to support her in bringing this message to a wider audience. Seeing our players embrace the challenge and commit to learning something new reflects the values we want this club to stand for.”
For more information on the work delivered by Claire Thompson and Makaton Mondays, visit Makaton Mondays on Facebook and Instagram.
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