Bristol-based charity football club plans next family fun day with local housebuilder’s support

A Bristol-based football club set up to support bereaved fathers is looking forward to holding another family fun day next year after the success of its first such event this summer.

Housebuilder Bellway South West, whose divisional offices are in Almondsbury, has already donated £300 to Sands United Bristol FC to help with the cost of staging next year’s event.

The club’s inaugural family fun day was held at St George Easton In Gordano FC following a fundraising drive by the team’s players, which included a sponsored 50-mile coastal walk from Weymouth to Sidmouth.

The event was organised in partnership with Bristol Sands – a volunteer-led group linked with the club which works to provide free support for families who are struggling with the pain and grief of losing a baby.

Bristol Sands is part of the national charity Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society (Sands) and offers a variety of free support to bereaved parents.

Sands United Bristol FC was established in 2019 and provides a unique avenue of support for fathers affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth.

Club member Adam Sturgeon works as a senior buyer at Bellway South West’s and reached out to his employer for support.

Adam said: “Our first family fun day was very successful and provided a great chance for us all to spend quality time together, play football and keep the kids entertained with a bouncy castle, face painting and a DJ.

“I am delighted that Bellway has agreed to donate towards our next family fun day, which we hope to hold some time next year. To host events like these we need to raise money for a variety of entertainment so we’re extremely grateful to Bellway for their support which will help make this possible.

“I lost my son Oscar when he was four weeks old. Playing football is a good avenue for the team to be active and take part in a sport we love whilst wearing our kids’ names on the back of our shirts and knowing you can lean on each other for support.

“While I will never forget Oscar, I am a dad to two beautiful children and hosting family fun day events in memory of our loved ones is a great way to show how, in time, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.”

Bellway previously supported the club with a £680 donation towards new training tops in 2020.

Rachel Way, Sales Manager for Bellway South West, said: “It’s so great to see Adam and the rest of Sands United Bristol FC continuing to raise awareness on behalf of Bristol Sands.

“After the success of their first family fun day the club are understandably keen to build on this momentum. Having supported them previously, we were more than happy to make this donation towards next year’s event which we hope will be even bigger and better than this year’s.”

To find out more about Bellway developments in the South West, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-west.

To find out more about Sands United Bristol FC, visit https://www.sandsunitedbristol.com/.