Remodeling of Dodo Club to an Inclusive Multisport Club for the Modern Family
Where there is passion and a vision, belief and hard work, there is achievement. At Dodo Club we are passionate about three things: sport, family, and community. With this new website, a new era begins. Exciting times!
We hope you and your families are all well and keeping safe. Like everyone else, we were delighted that life started to reopen again last summer after repeated lockdowns and hope there will be no further lockdowns in 2022.
IÂ have always believed that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Our aim is to make sure we create the right impression from Day One when you encounter Dodo Club.Â
The first thing you will notice is the fun and welcoming environment around our club. We have always approached our football sessions with fun, and we are focused on creating happy and well-motivated members who will want to introduce their friends and relatives to Dodo Club. The past 32 years have taught us that a successful club is built from laughter and good company. Our football games then become safer, more respectful, friendlier, and more enjoyable.Â
As time well spent is a life well lived, we are introducing new sports activities for you to enjoy your Sunday mornings with your family in the local park. We start with gymnastics, boxercise, petanque, and yoga – all sports that bring huge physical and mental benefits.Â
Check out the Fs (Football â Family â Friendship â Fun) in our club badge. Those pillars have underpinned everything we have been doing for more than three decades. But one thing is for sure. Whilst Dodo Club is undergoing major transformation, its ethos will never change. We will ensure those values continue to permeate throughout our strategic and developmental plans.Â
With our FA affiliation, we will follow government guidelines to ensure children and young people have a safe and enjoyable Dodo journey. Our Club Welfare Officers are being trained to ensure this happens, and our academy coaches are educated to create a fun, safe, and inclusive environment for all children. Â
We are also giving our club a real purpose in society with the setting up of the Dodo Foundation to improve access to sport for the less fortunate. With the help of active partnerships with local businesses and other organisations, the Dodo Foundation is putting in place a scholarship programme for disadvantaged children to join our football academy with a clear pathway to our senior team. In fact, nearly half of our current senior players are ex-Dodo Academy. Home-grown members will give Dodo Club the continued resilience it needs to reach the half-century mark in eighteen yearsâ time. Â
We are also putting more focus on equality and diversity as we welcome new members from different ethnic communities to mirror the multicultural aspect of London. Did you know that one-third of all Londoners are foreign-born, with as many as 270 different nationalities making up the fabric of our city?Â
Starting off as a predominantly Mauritian team – most of our members have family roots in Mauritius, formerly ruled by the British Empire – we now have personnel from more than ten different nationalities, and this trend is set to continue with our open policy based on my strong belief that a monolithic Dodo Club would be completely out of sync with modern Britain.Â
In a few monthsâ time and provided our country can avert a third lockdown, we will hold a special Dodonite with multiculturalism as the central theme – a cultural evening rich in traditional cuisines, music, and fashion.Â
If all this sounds of interest, whether you want to join us as a member or if you have a business and are interested in making a difference in society while getting visibility on our multiple digital platforms, or if you would simply like to join our team of volunteers, letâs talk.Â
