By Elliott West
“The aim of the charity will be to gather funds all year round by various means and to be in a position where local people in need can apply for funding or other forms of help through my foundation”.
Mark Allen
Introduction
Mark Allen is best known for his gritty displays on the green baize. An Antrim snooker player who is flying the flag for Northern Ireland snooker as Alex Higgins and Dennis Taylor did before him. The fighting fit player who has shed the pounds and bounced back from bankruptcy has just added another trophy to his cabinet after defeating Zhang Anda 10-8 to claim the Player’s Championship trophy in Telford. A victory that takes his ranking tally wins to 11, one behind his good friend Shaun Murphy. A man who is currently ranked number three in the world rankings and who is proficient at bouncing back from the snooker abyss.
However away from the snooker table, what you may not be aware of is Mark’s philanthropic passion. An emotive need to help those less fortunate than him in life. So great is this burning desire that Allen has felt to set up his charity, The Mark Allen Foundation. A charitable organisation that was successfully launched in January 2024 and whose aim is to help local people in need.
A Helping Hand
“All applications will be taken seriously and dealt with by all involved in running the charity.”
Mark Allen
Mark Allen is no stranger to helping charities. His track record speaks for itself, working with friends for the last fifteen years through charity events. Work that in his own words has “raised quite a bit of money”. Yet the Antrim ace has felt the need to take this work one step further and cement his charitable beliefs in a recognised organisation. This hasn’t been an easy process and he and his team have had to jump through several legal hoops and cut through a cordon of red tape to set it up and receive official charity status. A process that lasted for eighteen months before his dream came to fruition. A desire that has been brewing and building in the Northern Irishman for a number of years. A commendable aim that Mark’s desire is “to leave a legacy behind” long after he is gone. Something special and a charity that has a lasting effect. Work that has opened Mark’s eyes to how many people need help.
With an annual review, he wants to raise as much money as possible and split it evenly amongst local charities. He also wants to have a sports bursary to help local sportspeople in memory of his good friend Joe Short. A bursary that will work in tandem with local councils. This a broad-based charity that will help all with no age division. A charity that will work closely with other local charities such as the Antrim-based Links to Pink who have already successfully done this type of work for the last eleven years. Allen wants this so he can be low-based and for his work not to deflect from his primary career as a snooker player. Work that will help the young, old and homeless.
From the Heart
One example that shows the strength of Mark’s passion for helping others can be seen during the Covid lockdown. In between playing snooker, Allen rolled up his sleeves and helped deliver shopping and prescriptions to several local, elderly residents. A cause that is close to his heart due to his mother having to cope with day-to-day with the debilitating disease COPD. Work that clearly shows there is a warm and dedicated heart in this rough and rugged snooker player. A facade for someone who actually cares for others less fortunate in life. There is an official launch of the charity in Belfast on the 10th of March entitled ‘An Evening With Mark Allen And Friends’ with many celebrities invited and hosted by Rob Walker with 400 people expected to attend.
