Attached images are copyright of the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation and show;
Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club in their new shirts
YOUNG footballers rallied friends and family to raise hundreds of pounds for a Foundation by organising their own fun run.
Eight and nine-year-olds from Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club ran 1.5km around the village for the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation.
And in a touching tribute to Tom and his charity, which is based in the same village of West Bergholt, the club has also made the Foundation its t-shirt sponsor for the season.
Chris James, Manager of Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club, said: “Seeing the kids play week in week out in a shirt with the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation’s name is quite poignant, especially as Tom used to play for the team himself.
“We spoke to the children about the charity in an age appropriate way; how it helps fund research and help young people with cancer and they all wanted to do something for them.
“They roped their brothers and sisters in to take part in the fun run, and of course the coaches ran with them too. We closed the roads and in the end they raised £1,100 for the Foundation. They really got into it, having their own competitions as to who could run the fastest or the furthest. It was great to see.
“They all completed the run and the children were please to have done something that has gone to something bigger than them.”
The Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club team usually asks a sponsor to pay for the privilege of being on the club’s shirt, which is changed around every two years. But the club decided to invite the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation to be the sponsor for 2022/23 for free.
Mr James said: “We all wanted to do more. To see the children have such a sense of purpose and to know we could help the Foundation was just amazing.”
Nikki Bowdidge, CEO and Founder of the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation, said: “We are always blown away by the amazing support we receive. It takes a special group of people who are so young to think of others and raise money for them. Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. We can’t thank the team enough.”
