Mayfield Mustangs score with £250 community grant – thanks to grandad’s secret bid

Peter Hoolahan with the Mayfield Mustangs under -12s squad, including his grandson Blake Shepherd-Conwell (boy with dark hair at the front), and team coach Gavin Reynolds, Rochdale Exchange shopping centre administrator Rachel Byrne, and Costa Coffee branch manager Ashleigh Nicholson

Mayfield Mustangs under-12s rugby team will get to train indoors this winter in new kit, thanks to a community grant from Costa Coffee.

Coaches at the Mayfield Mustangs were surprised to hear they’d won the £250 from Costa Coffee, after a grandad of one of the players applied for it in secret.

Peter Hoolahan, 67, of Newhey in Rochdale, is known as grandad to the entire under-12s squad, including his grandson Blake Shepherd-Conwell. He says he didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, and so applied in secret for the first ever Costa Coffee community grant after the café opened earlier this year.

Team coaches Gavin Reynolds and Lee Wilson were delighted to accept the contribution, which they say is vital for funding kit, balls and indoor winter pitch hire.

Peter Hoolahan has barely missed a game since his grandson Blake Shepherd-Conwell joined the Mayfield Mustangs aged seven. The 67-year-old ex-player with the Mayfield Mustangs regularly attends training, and goes to the games with his daughter, Blake’s mum Andrea.

Peter often looks after the refreshments for the boys, and is also a trained first aider so helps out whenever he is needed.

He said: “I applied to Costa Coffee in secret because I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up in case we didn’t win. But I thought it would be great if they did win because rugby is a summer sport and come winter it stops, and if they can train indoors through the winter then that keeps them all together.

“Last year me and a lot of the dads did a whip round and we managed to buy them six indoor training sessions. So it’s great to have won and know that they can carry on training all year round.”

Coach Gavin Reynolds, who lives in Rochdale and has three children, one of whom is on the team, has been coaching the Mayfield Mustangs for nearly six years. Having now been handed a £250 boost to the club’s coffers, Gavin says the extra money will be used for balls and equipment as well as paying for indoor training over the winter months.

“It was a very pleasant surprise to be told we’d been lucky enough to win a grant,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about Peter’s application. It is very much appreciated.”

Manager of Costa Coffee Ashleigh Nicholson is delighted that the grant money has gone to such a "worthwhile local cause". She said: “We asked for nominations and suggestions and this was actually one of the first to come in.

“When we heard about how many kids they help and the high turnover of youngsters that they are keeping off the streets it seemed like a really good, local cause.

“They are constantly in need of new equipment and we’re delighted that we’ve been able to help.”