The Fans Museum in Sunderland is famous for being a treasure trove of football memorabilia – from the old boardroom table from Roker Park to shirts worn by Ronaldo and Beckham.
The founder Michael Ganley has amassed a quarter of a million pieces since he began collecting in 1980, only a fraction of which is ever on display at the museum in the former Monkwearmouth Station.
But what is even more astonishing is the huge and diverse community that Michael has built up around the free museum and its exhibits.
More than 80 ambassadors – or volunteers – are part of the team at the Fans Museum, the vast majority of them neurodivergent, or with physical or mental health issues, or suffering social isolation.
Some of them have been involved since the early days when Michael began displaying his collection in a community library in Hendon in 2014, followed by a three-month residency in Sunderland Central Library in 2016.
Supporting neurodivergent people and those with mental health issues was always part of Michael’s plan, and when he opened the Fans Museum in the former Monkwearmouth Railway Museum in 2019, he set up an autism hub and a mental health hub at the venue.
Opening for up to six days a week has allowed many to join the hubs and get involved in the day-to-day running of the museum – welcoming visitors, doing professional training, and taking part in workshops and outreach work. Michael also runs weekly football coaching sessions.
He says: “The building is open for them to come at any time. They can walk into a destination where they’re not being judged, they can have a cup of tea, they can be themselves.”
“We speak daily, and we train two hours a week in football. We do walks, theatre trips, and outreach. It gives them extra purpose in life.
“And if people want to get more involved with the museum, we give them that opportunity. I want people to succeed and have the chance to feel part of something, and they take huge pride in that.”
Michael goes the extra mile to support those who need it, with lifts, one-to-one counselling sessions, work-related skills and physical training. He often gets to see people’s confidence and independence take off.
“I get lovely messages from families saying their son has now gone to university or into a job, which they never expected. Or someone who could never speak to people is now happy showing strangers around the museum, or using public transport,” Michael says.
“Football is just a brilliant way to bring people together. We’re all of us football fans working here, whatever our profession or situation in life, and we all respect each other.
“We have an amazing community and we are championing autism acceptance every day. It’s hugely powerful.”
You can get involved with the Fans Museum by contacting them via email at https://fansmuseum.org/contact-us/, on their social media channels, or by dropping in.
Dan, 28, joined the Museum five years ago and is now a key holder and has responsibility for a range of duties. In recognition of the contribution he has made, Dan won Volunteer of the Year award in 2023. In the last year he has undertaken first aid and suicide prevention training. “Dan is brilliant at making things happen – I have ultimate trust in him,” Michael says.
Charlie, 20, has been involved with the museum for five years. He used to watch matches there as a teenager and started volunteering to collect glasses. Now he’s working three days a week, opening up, doing health and safety checks, and attending outreach events. His work saw him get the Student of the Year award at Sunderland College in 2023, where he’s currently studying, who recognised the amazing contribution the Museum had made to Charlie’s development. “I like helping out here and meeting people,” he says. “I really like being part of a team.”
Elliott, 21 in April, has been with the museum now for almost two years, and his self-confidence and wellbeing have come on leaps and bounds. He is now a regular member of the weekly football coaching sessions, has become involved in a local railway modelling club, and has recently been helped into part-time work. He and the rest of the group helped the museum support the Betsy Jenny Wellbeing and Counselling Café to deliver a mental health event.
Andrew is part of the museum three days a week and works part-time gardening for another organisation. While he struggles with reading and writing he has – alongside his colleagues – been helped to successfully undertake Health and Safety training and was presented with awards by the director from Places for People, a social housing provider. Andrew, Dan and others have also supported Prostate Cancer walks that the Museum have organised.
