Holbeach footballers complete charity twilight walk

Young footballers swapped their boots for walking shoes to raise more than £1,500 for charity.

Holbeach United Under 12 Blacks completed a twilight sponsored walk from St Mary’s Church, in Long Sutton, to the Rose and Crown pub, in Fleet Hargate, on October 5 in aid of stillbirth and neonatal death charity SANDS.

Team members, their families, coaches and others who have experienced the tragedy of a stillbirth walked more than three-and-half miles, with one player competing the feat backwards to secure an extra £100 donation to their cause.

Coach Keairn Kearney said the fundraiser came about after he got talking to a couple whose baby was stillborn. He said he’d like to help with some fundraising and after speaking to his team and their families they decided to join the family on a sponsored walk, which they had organised.

He added: “I got our parents together to discuss the idea and we discovered one or two other families had been through this situation as well. We had quite a few tears on the sidelines.

“Stillbirth is still a subject that people don’t really talk about, and one that many don’t really know about. It’s a horrible situation. That’s why we wanted to help – all the team knew what we were fundraising for, and it was nice that they all wanted to support it and do something to help others. I’m really proud of them.”

SANDS supports anyone affected by the death of a baby. It works in partnership with health professionals to ensure that bereaved parents and families receive the best possible care and promotes improvements in practice and funding research that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

* You can still donate to the team’s fundraiser at justgiving.com/page/sara-woodrow-1725282361903