A generous lot - and then scrum (From Daily Echo)

Rugby players donate £1,000 to charity

11:50am Wednesday 14th March 2012 in Rugby By Melanie Adams, Health Reporter

AFTER a muddy battle on the pitch and some sweaty scrum action, there is nothing more these tough guys enjoy than a hot shower to spruce themselves up.

But Southampton’s bighearted rugby players are sacrificing new showers to help critically ill youngsters with brain tumours and serious head injuries.

After reading in the Daily Echo about Smile4- Wessex’s mission to raise £150,000 for a specialist unit dedicated to children’s neurosciences, Southampton Rugby Club has donated the money it has been saving to revamp its clubhouse and changing rooms.

The players’ £1,000 donation has kick-started the appeal and they have pledged to raise even more until the target is reached.

Ken Everett, founding member of the club and president for nearly 20 years, won unanimous support from the team when he proposed to divert all the funds generated by their Brickbond Lottery to the appeal.

The lottery was set up 19 months ago with the aim of raising funds to improve their facilities at Test Park, Redbridge, including a muchneeded revamp of the 30-yearold showers.

The lottery has 100 regular players, each paying £5 a month to enter, and the monthly draws see 80 per cent of the entry fees paid out as prizes, with the remaining 20 per cent now benefiting the Smile4- Wessex Appeal.

The club is now appealing for more people to sign up to the lottery.

Ken said: “When you read about something which will benefit so many children, it’s natural to want to do what you can to help.”

Neil Westbrook, from the charity, added: “It’s marvellous that Southampton Rugby Club should feel so strongly about this project that they’re willing to forgo their own needs in favour of our appeal.”