Leading regional motor retailer, Ridgeway Volkswagen Reading and Newbury, has pledged its support to a major charity football match being co-organised by one of its employees.
Craig Clapham, general manager for Ridgeway Volkswagen Newbury, is working with his friend Neil Humphries, founder of The Big Match, to co-ordinate The Big Match 2013 in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity and Action for Children.
The match is taking place on Saturday 8th June at the Madejski Stadium, home to Reading Football Club, and entry wristbands are available for a minimum £5 donation from the Hilton Reading Hotel, David Lloyd Fitness Centre Reading or Broad Street Mall Information Desk also in Reading.
Neil Humphries said: “A host of celebrities are already lined up to feature in the football match, including Suzanne Shaw and Matt Evers from Dancing on Ice, X-Factor stars The Risk, Tobias Mead from Britain’s Got Talent, actor Winston Ellis and just announced this week, Anton Zingarevich the owner of Reading Football Club will be taking part.
“Sporting heroes taking part include former British Heavyweight Boxing Champion Michael Sprott and football stars Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock, Ozzie Ardilles, Darren Anderton and Ray Wilkins, and we have lot’s more big names to reveal leading up to the event.”
An exclusive ‘dress to impress’ event in the evening, ‘The Big Match Xtra Time’, is being held at the Hilton Reading Hotel, hosted by Suzanne Shaw and Matt Evers, with comedian Tim Vine providing the laughs and Bobby Davro running an auction for the two charities.
Limited tickets for the evening event are available from the Hilton at £75 each.
Craig added: “The Big Match 2013 promises to be a fantastic day, with celebrities and members of the public pitting their wits against each other in a fun packed football game to raise money for two great causes.
“Last year, my close friend Neil lost his father to a brain tumour which, along with his charity work for Action for Children, inspired The Big Match.
“With the help of friends and family, Neil arranged a charity football game in 2012 at the Madejski Stadium and with players all targeted with raising an amount of money to secure a place on the teamsheet we managed to raise over £8000 between us and had approximately 200 paying spectators on the day.
“This year we have gone even bigger with the help of some corporate sponsorship and celebrity involvement and I am really pleased that Ridgeway Volkswagen has donated £1,000 towards the costs of running such a fantastic event”
Other organisations supporting the event include Volume, Reading 107FM, The Broad Street Mall, Barclays, MB Events and Stanley.
“The response to this year’s efforts has been amazing with donations and volunteers coming from everywhere, so we are confident it will be a successful, fun, family day out,” said Neil. “We are even allowing children to train on the pitch prior to the game with a professional coach for an additional donation of £25 each.”
To find out how to take part in ‘The Big Match 2013’, go to www.thebigmatch.me or www.reading107.com, follow the event on Twitter @thebigmatch2013 or email info@thebigmatch.me
Ridgeway Volkswagen Reading, on Rose Kiln Lane, can be contacted on 0118 914 4524 and Ridgeway Volkswagen Newbury, at Newbury Motor Park, is on 0844 846 2129.