Canaries show compassionate side

The compassionate Canaries have helped the Hertfordshire club make a £700 donation to Sands, the national stillbirth and neonatal death charity, after staging another successful ‘pay what you want’ fixture at Top Field for their 2-0 win over Kings Langley last weekend, pictured.

Originally planned for their game against Cirencester Town at the end of January before it was frozen off, the fundraising initiative was re-scheduled to help bring a positive end to the unfortunate Alfie Barker Twitter episode when the former dual-registered player mocked AFC Bournemouth’s Premier League footballer Harry Arter over his still-born daughter.

Barker has since apologised for his “moment of madness” after being banned by the FA until August and the Canaries and Codicote, who both cancelled his registration, are also planning to turn out against each other in a fund-raising friendly for Sands.

Last weekend's highest league gate of the season saw supporters donate £480 on the day with the Hitchin Town Supporters Club adding a further £100. The EVO-STIK League Southern top flight promotion-chasers then topped up the total for the charity with a further £120.

Sands chief executive Dr Clea Harmer said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone at Hitchin Town Football Club for allowing us to collect donations at their match against Kings Langley. The funds raised will allow us to support parents whose babies have been stillborn or have died neonatally.

“As a charity we rely on the wonderful generosity of our supporters to continue our work. Sands operates throughout the UK supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby and promotes research to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.”

Proud Canaries secretary Roy Izzard said: “Many thanks once again to the fans who were so generous for Sands and showed that Non-League football followers are a special group.

“I am proud of all the examples of Hitchin Town FC helping good causes and it is so important we are seen as a community club. We had our own help when the people of Hitchin came together to save our Top Field ground and it is only right and proper that we continue to help those less fortunate than ourselves.”

The Canaries take great pride in the club's long record of supporting good causes. As well as the funds raised for the Willow Foundation at their recent Floodlight Inauguration game with Arsenal and other efforts for charities including Prostate Cancer UK, the British Red Cross, Herts Young Homeless and MacMillan Cancer, their most recent Ladies Day raised £400 for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Their annual Armed Forces Day also supports Help for Heroes and in 2015 £500 was raised for the Royal British Legion. This season the RAF Benevolent Fund is set to benefit. The club has also raised thousands for Children in Need over the years and in March are hosting a special fundraising football night with local schoolchildren for this year’s Red Nose Day.

Image courtesy of Michael Cooper

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