A Somerset football club has added the St Margaret’s Hospice logo to their kit after being inspired by one of its former players.
South Cheriton Football Club decided to add the logo to their kit after hearing Adam Martin’s story explaining how the hospice was supporting him and his family.
Adam, 35, from Wincanton was referred to the hospice after he received the devastating news that his cancer diagnosis was terminal. Adam, his wife, Sarah, and their children, Albie and Charlie, are being supported by St Margaret’s and the family shared their story and took part in the hospice’s Colour Run, Your Way event earlier this year.
The club’s manager, Chris Hibberd, worked with Rich Stump, owner of Ram Sports and family friend of Adam & Sarah’s, to include the St Margaret’s logo in this year’s team kit as well as fundraising for the hospice. So far, the club has raised over £2,000 for St Margaret’s.
We thought it was something as a club that we could help with. We have just started a reserve team and have around 30-40 people coming to training and we thought if everyone just donates a small amount, we might raise about £500. But then the total just started to climb, and people started coming forward saying they wanted to contribute and even came up with their own fundraising ideas. One player did a head shave and other players did a run and we raised around £2,000 in eight days which is amazing."Chris
“The motivation for doing all of this is Adam, I used to play with Adam as have some of the other lads. We do what we can to help charities. Sam Drury, who has come in to run the reserves team, paid for the new reserve kit and they didn’t have a sponsor so thought it would be perfect to add the St Margaret’s logo to show our support.
“I would encourage people to support St Margaret’s so it can carry on the work it is doing to support families like Adam and Sarah’s. You see lots of stories about people with a life-limiting illness, but I don’t think until it affects someone you know that you see it as real life.”
In September, players from South Cheriton FC donned their new kit and Rich presented Adam’s son’s, Albie and Charlie, and his grand-children with specially made shirts at a training session.
Rich said: “Adam used to play for South Cheriton FC, he started off as a striker and then was a defender, so I made two shirts for the boys with the Adam’s old positions on them as well as their surname, Martin.
“My daughter is best friends with Sarah and was a bridesmaid at her wedding, we are very close as families, so it meant a lot for us to be able to do this.”
St Margaret’s has made a big difference to Adam, Sarah and the boys. It’s been a difficult two years for everyone because of Covid-19 but even more so for charities like St Margaret’s and families like Adam and Sarah’s.”Rich