Football fundraiser – Jenny’s story

My dad's illness

My Dad, Frank Blacker, was diagnosed with cancer in April 2021 and passed away just over a week later. It was a very short illness and it was an absolute shock for us all. Luckily Dad was able to come home from the hospital and was cared for by Dorothy House. They were amazing with him and also the whole family, supporting my Mum, my sisters and I through a very difficult time. The carers that came were so kind, caring and supportive. We really couldn’t have got through the final days without them and I know that Dad really appreciated the care given to him.

Friendly football match

We decided as a family to hold a football fundraiser event to raise money for Dorothy House as a way of saying thank you to them. We held a friendly football match at Shepton Mallett Football Ground, with teams made up of family and friends. All the family took part, either playing in the match or organising and running the raffle and a very successful sweet stall. The football players made a donation to play, and we sold so many raffle tickets! We also had bouncy castles and food vendors at the event.

The 'Frankie Blacker' cup

The final score of the football fundraiser was 5-4 through penalties. It was very tense at the end! The ‘Frankie Blacker’ cup was presented to the winning team by some of the grandchildren.

Hold your own fundraising event

If you're looking to hold your own fundraising event, there's lots you can do! From skydiving to coffee mornings, or even a football fundraiser like Jenny's, each member of our community who gets involved plays a huge part in our work.

Find out more about hosting your own fundraising event here.