Lionel Road Tracks: Brentford player joins Trust volunteers, staff and participants for a unique evening celebrating the power of music
With many of the Trust’s frontline community activities suspended during the second lockdown, the Trust organised an online music extravaganza at the beginning of December with Brentford player Josh Dasilva, Trust participants and the CEO of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust Lee Doyle. Taking inspiration from the BBC’s Desert Island Discs concept, Trust volunteers and participants discussed the importance of music in their lives and how it had helped them during the global pandemic.
The evening, which was hosted by BBC sports journalist Phil Parry, included tracks such Lionel Ritchie “All Night Long” and Ben Howard’s “Keep Your Head up” from Brentford Player Josh Dasilva and Trust CEO Lee Doyle.
Josh Dasilva, who is a product of Arsenal’s academy, said:
“Music has always been a big part of my life and to share with young people and Trust volunteers my favourite songs was an absolute privilege.
“The 2nd lockdown was tough but an evening like this was a fantastic way to bring people together and discuss what music meant for them.”
Along with the Brentford forward, a young carer from our Young Carers project, a participant from our girls’ football programme and two Trust volunteers described the tracks that shaped their identity and reflected their dreams and future ambitions.
Zoe, from our girls’ football development programme, said:
“At first I was really nervous being on a Zoom call with Josh Dasilva but I had a great time. Music calms me down and relaxes me.”
The music workshop was part of a number online activities the Trust ran during the 2nd lockdown. Brentford player Emiliano Marcondes hosted an online webinar stressing the importance of mental health while Ethan Pinnock took part in an insightful Q&A regarding how young players can overcome sports injuries.
The full list of participants and their chosen tracks can be found here. A video of the evening can be found here.
