Gemma Oakley, founder of Wrexham Studio CIC. Credit: Newsquest
One of the most touching scenes in the fifth season of Welcome to Wrexham was not related to football at all but involved Rob McElhenney, co-owner of the club, surprising a long-term fan, Gemma Oakley, by calling her on the phone after she learned that Wrexham was willing to help her with her incredible teddy bears project.
Episode eight, We Go Again, covers Wrexham’s efforts to reach the Championship play-offs, but in the midst of their final day struggle, the documentary showed once again the efforts of Gemma Oakley, whose handmade bears and hats are well-known around the Racecourse Stadium.
Having seen her story, McElhenney realized that he wanted to go beyond mere recognition of her hard work.
Rob McElhenney had one simple question
When McElhenney contacted Oakley on the phone, his first question was how many bears she had made before he gave her a much larger concept.
“I was wondering if you have the ability to maybe scale up a little bit and make a few more.”
When Oakley agreed, McElhenney immediately raised the stakes.
“Can you make a thousand by next Christmas?”
Without hesitation, Oakley replied:
“Yes.”
Laughing, McElhenney admitted he had expected at least a moment’s pause.
“There wasn’t even a breath. I thought there was gonna be a question.”
Their dialogue soon became much more significant when McElhenney elaborated on his vision for the project.
The bears could now reach children around the world
It was at that point that McElhenney disclosed he hoped that the hand-crafted bears would be able to reach children’s hospitals in the UK, the US and Europe.
“We can give them out to hospitals, children’s hospitals all over the UK, the US, Europe. Anywhere where people are interested.”
This revelation struck a chord.
Touched by what it meant for her future, Oakley found it hard to contain herself from crying.
“I’ve actually got tears in my eyes now. That is mental.”
The documentary then went on to explain why this particular moment was so important.
Oakley openly explained how hard she found it to rebuild her life after her addiction and regain the trust of those around her.
“I’ve lost myself over the years, and now I’ve found myself again.”
She added:
“Everyone that said, ‘Oh, you can’t do that,’ I’ve basically done it.”
For Oakley, the bears mean so much more than an art project; they have become a new beginning, while the backing of Wrexham has opened doors she never thought possible.
The phone call also served to point out another aspect which has been prevalent through the course of Welcome to Wrexham. This film is not all about success on the field but rather the individuals who have been touched by the team.
This episode of the show proved that point very well; although the promotion campaign of Wrexham was not successful, there was an unplanned phone call that made it all worthwhile.
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