Harrogate Town player donates ventilation unit to local mental health charity

Harrogate Town player donates ventilation unit to local mental health charity

By Ruth MacEachern

Product Manager

Harrogate Town AFC midfielder Brendan Kiernan visited local Mental Health charity Wellspring Therapy Centre in Harrogate recently to see the new extractor fan system that he donated to the charity from local ventilation manufacturer EnviroVent, which sponsors the club’s stadium.

Brendan had been offered the opportunity of an EnviroVent ventilation system for his home but decided instead to donate it to Wellspring Therapy & Training, after recognising their great work with people with mental health issues.

On behalf of Brendan, EnviroVent supplied and installed two Cyclone extractor fans into the kitchen and bathroom adjacent to the large garden room, which is used for holding group counselling sessions and training.

Brendan Kiernan, player at Harrogate Town AFC, explains: “I have recently completed a Level 2 qualification in Counselling Young People with Wellspring Therapy & Training and that’s where I found out about the great work that the charity does.  Good mental health is just as important as good physical health and I wanted to give something back to this great local charity as they are doing a fantastic job in making mental health counselling affordable to anyone that needs it.” 

He adds: “This is a place where people can come to share their issues and have someone listen to them and offer them support, which is really important.”

Laura Brett, Head of Fundraising and Promotion at Wellspring Therapy & Training, said: “We are delighted to receive the kind donation of the EnviroVent extractor fans which will help to improve air quality in our building.  It was very kind of Brendan to think of us and we cannot thank him and EnviroVent enough.”

Andy Makin, Managing Director of EnviroVent, said: “It was very generous of Brendan to give up his ventilation unit and allow Wellspring Therapy Centre to benefit and we were more than happy to be able to support him in doing this.  Indoor air quality is really important in a building that is used by many people, particularly in light of COVID, and it should make a huge difference in eliminating condensation and creating a fresh atmosphere for staff, volunteers and visitors to the centre.”

EnviroVent is a Harrogate-based manufacturer of ventilation equipment to homes and social housing, employing over 240 people at its manufacturing plant, training centre and head office on Hornbeam Business Park.  The company has sponsored Harrogate Town’s stadium, naming it the EnviroVent stadium for the 2020/2021 season, which is part of its longer-term commitment to supporting the club and the community it serves.

Gary Plant, Managing Director at Harrogate Town AFC, said: “At Harrogate Town we place high importance on the set of values by which we conduct ourselves and this act of kindness from Brendan is a real reflection of those. We hope Wellspring benefit from Brendan’s generosity and it can make a small contribution to the outstanding work they do.

“Our relationship with EnviroVent has allowed us to engage further with our supporters through a number of competitions giving them the opportunity to improve the air quality in their homes, in a time when it is needed more than ever.”

Wellspring Therapy & Training was established back in 2003 by two counsellors with a vision to support vulnerable people in North Yorkshire through counselling.  With a strong Christian ethos, the organisation set out to provide affordable short and long-term counselling, enabling people to reach a place of wholeness in their lives.   The charity, funded purely by donations, is now based at High Street in Harrogate.  Wellspring employs 16 part time staff and provides a range of one to one and group counselling services at affordable rates, plus youth and training services.  The charity now has over 35 volunteers and eight trustees.

EnviroVent, based at Hornbeam Business Park in Harrogate is proud of its close links with the local community and the town’s football club Harrogate Town AFC.

Each year EnviroVent holds an ‘In it together day’ when all its staff are given the chance to work on supporting a wide range of local projects across the greater Harrogate region. These have included, Harrogate Homeless Project, Dementia Forward, Horticap, churches and schools.