A squad of 23 individuals raised £7,846 for Watford Football Club’s Community Sports and Education Trust in the fundraising challenge Race Europe. The challenge was running throughout March, but the Watford FC Squad completed the 6,720 miles in just 18 days, getting 3rd place in a competition with 32 squads across the 14 football clubs taking part.
Race Europe was a unique virtual fundraising challenge which saw supporters raise money for their football club’s respective charities. The distance highlighted was the accumulative distance that separates the host cities of the international football tournament – Euro 21. Teams represented clubs from across London including Arsenal, Crystal Palace, QPR, and Tottenham Hotspurs; squads from AFC Wimbledon and Charlton Athletic claimed first and second place, respectively.
The Watford FC squad, sponsored by Watford Chamber of Commerce, included current and former Hornets’ players, with Ben Foster, Craig Cathcart, Emma Beckett, Megan Chandler, and Steve Palmer all taking part. As well as Jake and Stewart Colley, representing Trust patrons – The Taylor Family, whilst Emma Saunders and Chris Luff MBE represented the charity’s Trustees. Other members of the successful squad were:
Andy Smith, Daniel Munson, Harry Sandford, Hope Thomas, Ian Allan (and his son Oscar!), Keith Carman, Lorraine Southon, Olly Thompson, Noel Lally, Pete Broom, Rhys Ratcliffe, Rocco Sepe, Simon Roffe, Steve Freedman, and Steve Loraine.
The Trust’s Fundraising and Partnerships Manager, Tamora Burford said:
“Our team were fantastic in every sense, raising an amazing amount for charity, supporting and motivating each other throughout, all whilst racking up the miles and claiming 3rd place overall. Thank you to all of them for their commitment to the cause, as well as everyone who donated and got behind the squad.”
Those that supported included corporate donations from Met Coaches, Watford Palace Theatre, St. James Eaton, and Watford Community Housing. There were also prizes for squad members donated by R C Lifestyle, Nuwave, and Miles Jacobson.
At a time when charities across the country have faced immense challenges and loss of income, fundraising events such as this are more important than ever before. The money raised from Race Europe will enable the Trust to continue making a positive difference for all through sport, physical activity, and learning. To view their social impact report, click here.
If you’d like to support the Trust going forward, including getting involved in fundraising events, please contact Tamora.burford@watfordfc.com.