OUR STORY SO FAR
Football for cancer was born in 2008 with the idea that we would get some friends together to play in a charity football match for a cancer charity. Using the social media site Facebook, we set about asking our friends if they would be interested in taking part, this snowballed, the response was so big we had to make the decision to turn it into a tournament making up four teams of 15 players. All teams would be named after family relatives that had sadly passed away from cancer and all teams were sponsored by local companies. We hosted our first event with the help of Jamie Steves at Moneyfields FC. 60 players paid a sign up fee as well as raising through sponsorship and then we needed to find a Charity, Marie Curie Cancer Care were contacted and it was agreed that any money raised would be for them. We were extremely proud to hand them a cheque for over £14,000
In 2010 we did it all again for 'The Rowans Hospice' but this time the word had spread and more people wanted to sign up! Local football teams Horndean, Fareham Town, Gosport Borough and Havant & Waterlooville allowed us to use their grounds for the lads to play the games. With the event growing so did the amount raised and we were pleased to hand The Rowans Hospice a cheque for £32,000
2011 we contacted a small but very worthy charity 'The Rosemary Foundation' offering a hospice at home service to those dying of cancer. Copying the event blue print from the year before we set about organising the event but with the financial climate effecting everyone it did take its toll on the final amount.. not that it wasn't an amazing amount of £22,000
2012 FFC grew just that little bit bigger with other events now being planned. The chosen Charity for the football tournament was The Tom Prince Trust, Some of the lads even took a week off work to plan and do a moped ride from John O'Groats to Lands end (On 25 year old Honda Visions) it took a week to complete, the seven lads with a support crew of two made the voyage without any casualties but with a lot of break downs along the way!!! this managed to raise over £5,000 and along with a ladies walk at our final this year with over 30 women walking a 5 mile walk finishing at our final the event went without any problems raising £25,782.03p (gift aid to be added)
We also put on a five a side competition at Roko and a Rosemary Ramble walk in Queen Elizabeth country park again for 'The Rosemary Foundation' managing to raise over £6,500 combined. In all 2012 has been our most successful year to date raising more than £32,000 not including gift aid! we also confirmed Katie Green (Super Model) - Ray Crawford (Footballing Legend) & Andy Johnson (QPR Premier league player) as our patrons! FFC has now built a LEGENDS team from players, who due to their hard work, support and commitment to our cause have stood out to play friendly games against, Pompey coaches, Companies and Celebrity teams raising £500 per game as all players pay £10 subs towards cancer charities.. Some of our organisers and players have also visited West Ham's ground to take part in their yearly charity 5 a side event helping other charities raise monies for their causes and we've been lucky enough to have had the pleasure to have the use of Fratton park in 2010 & 2011. Each time putting places to play in a team up for auction for anyone to place a bid which has raised money towards our final amounts each year. In total FFC - Football For Cancer has raised over £100,000 for local Cancer related charities and continues to grow each year! we are a NON PROFITABLE Organisation. OUR PLANS FOR 2013This year we are raising monies for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Walk For Cancer is aiming to have over 100 women walking 10 miles, collecting sponsorship to add to the final amount and will finish their walk at our final on 5th May
Our website site is currently being built and will be ready to launch in March 2013 (Old one is still up .and running)
We have people training for the great south run raising for FFC this year
20 lads cycling to Wembley and back raising for FFC 2013
12 FFC lads are training for an epic row to France this summer
We are planning and organising an FFC boxing night
FFC will be hosting a five a side tournament
