The countdown is on to a magnificent match of the day as an award-winning fundraising organisation launches its ninth football tournament.
Play2Give, set up by Andrew Baker from Didcot, in 2007 has launched its football tournament – the fifth as a kids format – and appeals for teams in under 13 and under 14 age groups – to sign up and help children in hospital.
The 6-a-side contest, on Sunday, July 16, sponsored for a sixth year by estate agents Breckon & Breckon, will raise funds for the Oxford Children’s Hospital which is aiming to raise £2million this year to help fund the creation of a Ronald McDonald House on the site of the John Radcliffe – a home from home accommodation for families.
The football tournaments have been P2G’s main fundraiser since being created by Andrew of Great Western Drive, Didcot, and in previous years have seen as much as £7,000 raised.
This year’s event, again generously host at Oxford City Football Club, hopes to raise up to £5,000 as part of Play2Give’s tenth anniversary year.
The fundraising group, Play2Give, hopes to raise £10k in 10 this year for the Children’s Hospital (CHOX), which also celebrates its tenth anniversary.  The group were awarded in the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust Staff Recognition Awards last December, where they scooped the ‘Bronze Supporter of the Year’ Award in recognition of their sterling efforts.
Play2Give has already raised over £2,000 in the start of its special tenth anniversary fundraising crusade, and funds raised through the football fiesta on July 16 will also help fund the creation of extra play areas and new specialised medical equipment for the tens of thousands of youngsters that the children’s hospital cares for every year.
Play2Give has raised over £55,220 since its inception – £36,750 of this from its popular football tournaments – which have been labelled ‘one of the best in the county for charity’ by past teams.
The P2G team, including former St Birinus School pupil, Andy and fellow member Dale Harris, recently celebrated the unveiling of the organisation’s very own room on Melanie’s Ward at the hospital after raising over £40,165 in a decade. They now hope to achieve a £10,000 target to add to their achievements for CHOX by the end of the year. Fundraising well and truly kicked off in style with a family fun day and spinathon host by Didcot’s Willowbrook Leisure Centre which raised over £530 and a collection at the Oxfordshire Sports Awards in January raised over £247.
Andy was inspired to begin raising money for the Oxford Children’s Hospital in 2003 aged 14 after receiving treatment throughout childhood after suffering a brain injury at birth. In 2001, he underwent brain surgery at the former Radcliffe Infirmary which was the catalyst for him to start cash collecting at St Birinus School in Didcot in 2003 – the proceeds of which helped to build the 106-bedpurpose-built  unit which opened in 2007.
A multitude of volunteers and helpers along with Andy and Dale, including Teresa Strike and Elaine Childs amongst many others, make up the Didcot BACA-award winning Play2Give team – who, in September, will officially celebrate the organisation’s tenth birthday with a black-tie charity ball on 29th September.
As well as the main attraction of the beautiful game of football, there will also be a bouncy castle, a coconut shy, food and refreshments and a raffle with music making up for an ever-popular event which has become a firm favourite in the county’s charity calendar.
Under 13s and Under 14s boys teams wishing to enter should email play2give@hotmail.com or see play2give.org.uk for more details where registration forms can also be downloaded. Each team is asked to raise sponsorship and entries close on June 20th.
To donate to P2G’s 10k in 10 appeal, visit make-a-donation.org/campaign/10k-in-10-appeal