Young Footballers Score £2,500 For Our Hospital

A tenacious kids football team has hit the back of the net with their fundraising, scoring £2,500 for our charity.

The Forest Falcons Junior Football Club Under 13s team decided to cycle 40 miles to raise funds for sick kids, as our Children’s Hospital is very close to the heart of the team’s assistant coach, Simon Fulwood.

Simon’s nephew, Alex, was born with an extremely rare and life-threatening condition, and rushed to our hospital for emergency care. Sadly, despite the best efforts of doctors to save him, he tragically passed away at only three days old, and his family were utterly grief-stricken. Despite their tragic loss, Alex’s family to this day remain very thankful for the care he received, and for the kindness of our staff during their darkest moments.

Deeply moved, Simon is also grateful for the care received by his daughter, Molly, when she was only six years old. The little girl was rushed to our hospital for a suspected cancerous growth, which clinicians diagnosed as a fluid cyst. The cyst was removed, and Molly thankfully continues to do extremely well.

To give back to the hospital that had taken such good care of his family, Simon encouraged the Forest Falcons Junior Football Club Under 13s to support the cause. The kind-hearted footballers set themselves the goal of cycling the equivalent of more than 600 football pitches on behalf of their club and brave patients. Family, friends, local schools and local businesses pitched in to help, helping the football fanatics boot it across the line and score their £2,500 fundraising goal.

The team visited iconic stadiums in the local area, including Villa Park

The cycle was a real team effort, with players, coaches, volunteers and family members joining in. Starting on their home turf in Stourbridge, the club visited the iconic local grounds of West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Walsall and Wolverhampton Wanderers. As the young players cycled across the finish line, they still had energy in the tank, with more events for our charity planned in the future.

Simon Fullwood, Club Assistant Coach, said: “Supporting the Children’s Hospital is very personal to me. You never want to experience how good the care is, but it means the world. We aimed to raise £500, but the kids absolutely stormed it and the fundraising exploded. We’re so grateful for all the support.”

John Griffiths, a volunteer at the club, said: “All the kids loved this challenge. They are a friendly, close-knit group who really care about the club and their local community, and they’re excited to go even bigger with their fundraising next year.”

Jack, who plays on the team and joined the cycle challenge, said: “It was really great fun for a great cause.”

Annie Eytle, Head of Public Fundraising at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The Forest Falcons Junior Football Club Under 13s team truly booted it to the back of the net with their fundraising, and we’re so proud of their hard work. Thanks to their support, we can continue to deliver world class care, giving our patients and families the best possible hospital environments, experiences and equipment.”