A HOST of celebrities will be putting on their boots when Woking Football Club stages a charity match at the Laithwaite Community Stadium.
Ant Middleton, Calum Best, James Arthur, Love Island’s Callum Macleod and YouTuber Chunkz are among those lined up to play in support of Woking & Sam Beare Hospices, Cherry Trees, Halo Children’s Foundation and Emily Ash Trust on Sunday 25 July.
The game kicks off at 3pm with ticket proceeds to be equally shared between the four charities. There will also be collections and further initiatives on the day.
Mick Livesey, Woking FC’s commercial director, said: “The match is attracting plenty of interest, we are getting messages from all over the country and even from overseas.
“Tickets are going well and rising by the day, we are expecting a bumper crowd and a fantastic atmosphere.
“All of us at Woking Football Club believe that while it is important to get results on the pitch, it is even more important to get results out there in our community.
“We have agreed to make this an annual event, getting bigger each year.”
Woking & Sam Beare Hospices is familiar and enormously respected for its work, but the organisers see the match as an opportunity to raise the profile of the other charities involved.
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Cherry Trees is a children’s charity supporting families with a child with complex disabilities and/or learning difficulties;Halo Children’s Foundation works with children and families dealing with bereavement; and The Emily Ash Trust supports families who have a child, teenager or young adult with cancer.
“Halo Children’s Foundation are delighted to be chosen for this incredible event,” said chief executive Alia Jones.
“As a small charity offering one of the only bereavement support services, we rely on such support to continue to offer our services to children and their families in our community. Thank you to everyone involved for making it happen.”
Debbie Boulter, community and events lead at Cherry Trees, said: “Cherry Trees could not exist without donations and support from organisation’s such as Woking FC.
“Fundraising makes up over 40% of our income each year so we are incredibly grateful for this opportunity. We are proud to be a part of this fantastic match. Thank you, Woking FC.”
Another in the celebrity squad is actor and singer Aaron Sidwell, who played Steven Beale in EastEnders and has previous experience of a Woking audience from when he toured with Carnaby Street: The Musical eight years ago.
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“Doing whatever I can for charity is always hugely motivating,” he said. “These matches help raise awareness of local charities in communities that are directly affected by them.”
Able to play on either wing or as full back, Aaron likes to play as often as possible: “I think that football is an incredibly popular thing and as such should be used as a force for good in the world.
“I love playing these games, both for the football and raising money for charity. They’re always a great day out.”
* TO book tickets, visit https://wokingfc.ktckts.com/event/wok2122c1/celebrity-charity-football-match. Ticket prices are £10 adults, £5 under 16s and concessions. It is an all-ticket event and no tickets will be available on the day. All celebrity appearances are subject to commitments.