Members of the backroom team at Cheltenham Town Football Club have raised over £2,000 for Midlands based charity Acorns Children’s Hospice following a gruelling four day cycling challenge in the Italian Alps.
The team made up of assistant manager Russell Milton, under-18s manager Pete Haynes, senior sports therapist Gavin Crowe, volunteer Barry Roberts and support driver Gary Haynes tackled over 27,000 feet and 272 kilometres on famous climbs and routes of the Giro d’Italia route, which included the infamous Stelvio Pass.
Acorns, who provide vital care for babies, children and young people with life limiting and life-threatening conditions, are League Two Cheltenham Town’s official charity partners for the 2018/19 season.
They were chosen by the team as their charity for the challenge to help raise funds and awareness for the work Acorns does in offering children respite, short breaks, end of life and emergency care.
As well as caring for children, Acorns also offers support for their families, providing a mix of support groups which meet regularly so family members can take part in a variety of activities, helping them to express their feelings, build friendships with others in similar situations and reduce isolation.
Senior Sports Therapist Gavin Crowe said: “It wasn’t until we visited the Worcester hospice how much it hits home the amount of care and support that Acorns Hospice provides, especially when you are a parent of a young family like myself.
“There is so much more that goes on at the hospice than you would think. They are doing amazing work in supporting families and knowing that helped drive us on throughout the challenge when we were out in Italy.
“The hospices are on our doorstep and it is fantastic that the club has supported us and the charity all season, and it’s great that supporters have got onboard and helped us raise a significant amount of money.”
In total the team spent 20 hours in the saddle, successfully completing routes that included the Gavia Pass and Torri di Fraele.
It’s still possible to donate to their Just Giving page online, please visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/ctfcalpsride to make a donation.
