The final call is out for teams to sign up to a 6 a side football tournament supporting the children’s hospital.
Didcot-based fundraising organisation, Play2GiveĀ is hosting its annual children’s contest onĀ Sunday,Ā July 16.
The tournament, which will also include music, bouncy castle and slide, as well as a raffle and food, will be held at the grounds of Oxford City Football Club near to the John Radcliffe Hospital. This popular annual footballing fiesta is sponsored by Breckon & Breckon and Newbury Building Society.
This year’s event, now in its ninth year, is open to under 12s and under 13s boys and under 14s girls teams.
Registrations close on June 20.
Entries cost Ā£35 a team. Each team and youth players are encouraged to raise additional funds.
All proceeds raised will support the Oxford Children’s Hospital’s Ā£2million appeal, which P2G is playing a huge part in to fund a new 62-bedroomed Ronald McDonald House for families as well as new play areas and medical equipment.
The event on July 16 as part of P2G’s tenth anniversary hopes to net up to Ā£5,000 to help the group of fundraisers raise Ā£10,000 this year towards the hospital. Over Ā£40,000 has been raised by Andy Baker and his team of volunteers in a decade of dedicated fundraising.
Founder Andy said: “We hope to see as many children’s teams – from boys and girls – in under 12s, 13s and 14s sign up to take part have a match of the day and score superb goals to support and raise money to help a great cause. This event is all about children helping children in hospital.
“Our football tournaments are always hugely popular and as our main event since I set up P2G, they have become an favourite charity event in the county.
“Many teams that have taken part in the past including mens squads have classed ‘P2G’s tournaments’ as ‘being the best football tournament for charity’ in the county. Which is to us as a team of volunteers a lovely sentiment and respect of all our hard work.”
Aided by a number of friends each year supporting Andy to bring the football tournament to life include Dale Harris of Cowley who works for Elmer Cotton sports shop in Oxford.
Mr Harris, like Andy has dedicated the past 15 years to supporting the children’s hospital, as his daughter Mya, 14, was born in 2002 with spina bifida. Mya has had countless operations and been treated since birth by the Oxford medics. Mr Harris is entering his own under-13s boy team once again.
Like Andy, Dale knows how important the facility, based at the John Radcliffe is, as in Mya’s early days of treatment the dedicated specialist 106-bed unit didn’t exist.Ā Mr Harris has also thrown himself into abseils and fun runs over the years and helped steer the fundraising group to success in inspiration of his daughter’s treatment.
As well as squads locally signing up, the contest has even already seen teams from Enfield in London, Thatcham, Swindon, and Sandhurst in Berkshire register to help the children’s hospital, which treats young patients and their families from right across the country.
For more details or to sign up, seeĀ play2give.org.ukĀ or emailĀ play2give@hotmail.com