A community football team in North Wales is hosting a charity football match to raise money for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
North Wales Dragons are hosting their latest fundraising match at 7.30pm on Friday September 23 at the Llandudno FC stadium against charity team, Cheshire Autism FC.
North Wales Dragons was set up in 2008 to support good causes. They use football as a vehicle to raise money and awareness for local and national charities.
Donations will be collected during the match and there will also be a raffle taking place.
Matt Spruce, 41-years-old and from Colwyn Bay, is the match secretary at the club as well as being a coach and a player. Matt is no stranger to raising money for Blind Veterans UK.
He said:
“I joined the British Army when I was 16 and served for 23 years as a combat medical technician in the Royal Army Medical Corps.
“During my time I served in several operations including Iraq and Afghanistan and I saw first-hand the devastating injuries suffered by our Servicemen and women.
“I find it incredibly humbling to see the work military charities do to better the lives of those who have suffered life changing injuries.
“Being from North Wales, it’s great that there is such an incredible national charity working out of Llandudno which provides such an amazing service and as a team we are honoured to be able to support the work of Blind Veterans UK in our own way.
“To date I have raised around £30,000 for various charities including Blind Veterans UK who I fundraised for with a 24-hour row-a-thon. Blind Veterans UK makes a real difference to the military veterans’ community, a group that is close to my heart.”
Speaking to Matt ahead of the match, he said:
“I love the occasion of the games. We make every effort to make the matchday experience memorable for all the players.
“We train once a week and have players ranging from 18 to 63 years old, but we don’t play in a league and we don’t play for results, we only play around eight matches a year and these are all for charity.
“Our focus is on making football inclusive for all and promoting good mental health. This game will be special, I know that every penny we raise will make a difference.”
North Wales Dragons has already raised over £400 for Blind Veterans UK. If you would like to support the team in raising even more money please visit their Just Giving page here: justgiving.com/north-wales-dragons-blind-veterans
Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country, but knows there are many thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and are now struggling with sight loss, then please get in touch. Call 0800 389 7979 or visit blindveterans.org.uk/support
