A charity five-a-side football tournament hosted by law firm Birketts at Portman Road has raised £20,250, with funds split equally between East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and Ipswich Town Foundation.
Birketts’ charity football tournament (Photo: Birketts)
Why it matters: The money will support two organisations with deep roots in the local community — EACH, which provides lifelong care for bereaved and non-bereaved families, and Ipswich Town Foundation, the charitable arm of Ipswich Town Football Club, which works to improve health, skills and opportunities for people across Suffolk.
The details: The tournament, held on Tuesday, 3 June, at Portman Road, brought together 12 teams from across the business community, including Associated British Ports, Barnes Construction, BUUK United, Denbury Groundbreakers, EACH, Killik, OCS, One Group Construction, Untypical Anglia/Hopkins Homes and Ipswich Town Foundation.
One Group Construction took home the winner’s trophy, while Jack Wass from Killik & Co was crowned player of the tournament after finishing as top goal scorer.
What they’re saying: Oliver Crichton, partner in Birketts’ commercial real estate team, said: “We were delighted to host our annual charity football tournament at Ipswich Town and raise more than £20,000 for the Ipswich Town Foundation and EACH – both local charities doing incredible work in our community. It was a real treat to sample the Premier League facilities, including the immaculate Portman Road playing surface.”
Barnes Construction Associate Director, Damien Kerry, who played in the tournament, said the firm was “delighted” to be involved. “The afternoon was really well organised by our hosts, and whilst we didn’t manage to bring home any silverware, it gave some of our staff the great thrill of being on the hallowed turf at Portman Road,” he said.
He added that the firm supports the tournament “due to the tremendous charitable contribution it generated for charities close to home and our hearts”.
One of those charities is EACH. Anna Bruce, EACH’s senior corporate fundraiser for Suffolk and East Essex, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Birketts for organising this fantastic tournament at Portman Road. The generosity, enthusiasm and community spirit shown by everyone involved was inspiring, and every pound raised will help us continue delivering vital care and support to children, young people and families across East Anglia.”
Noah Britnell, fundraising and partnerships officer at Ipswich Town Foundation, added: “We were delighted to be selected as one of the chosen charities of this fantastic event, which raised vital funds to be reinvested into the local community.”
The bottom line: A competitive but good-spirited afternoon at Portman Road has translated into £20,250 for two charities doing vital work across Suffolk and East Anglia.
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