Women’s football club raises over £1,700 for Afghan refugees
A women’s football club has raised over £1,700 for Afghan refugees.
South East Parakeets FC, took part in a five hour five-aside match to raise money for refugees and displaced families.
Club co-founder Amy Doyle, 28, of Medhurst Drive, came up with the idea and organised the match that took place at St Dunstan’s five-aside pitch in Catford on Sunday, September 26.
Two of the club’s players grew up in Afghanistan and, after one of them was interviewed for BBC News raising awareness of the ongoing crisis, Ms Doyle and her teammates wanted to show their support.
A message posted on the fundraising page said: “Women and the LGBTQI+ community are particularly under threat from the conflict, which is something very important to the club and it’s players.
“It can be difficult when watching the devastating news on TV and seeing all the stories and images on social media to know how to help or make a difference.
“As a club and community, the Parakeets felt it was important to come together and show their support.”
The match raised a whopping £1,774 which will will be donated to the charity UK for UNHCR.
After the match Ms Doyle said: “Thank you to everyone who participated, spectated and donated.
“What an amazing day for our club and community.
“We’re so proud with the amount of money raised for such a worthy cause and we can’t thank you enough to everyone who has supported us and got behind the event.
“Our initial target of £500 has been more than tripled, incredible.”
All the donations will help to provide emergency aid for those forced to flee, safeguard fundamental human rights, and ensure people have a safe place to call home.
UK for UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency’s official UK charity partner, raising funds and building solidarity to help protect refugees and displaced people around the world through UNHCR’s relief work.
UNHCR provides essential aid such as shelter, food, water and access to healthcare for families like those displaced by the recent crisis in Afghanistan, as well as people fleeing the escalating conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, and Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
To find out more and sponsor the Parakeets, visit their fundraising page online at justgiving.com/fundraising/5hour5aside
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We just hit £2k in donations! Thank you so much for the coverage of our event for such a worthy cause!