AROUND 400 people descended on Newport’s St George’s Park to watch a charity football match in aid of seriously ill HMP Isle of Wight prison officer Ben Rothwell on Sunday.
The match between teams representing HMP IW and the Isle of Wight NHS Trust raised £1,000 for Ben, with motor neurone disease (MND), and his family, together with over £1,200 raised through a donation website.
HMP IW won the match by a single goal, scored by fellow prison officer Brian Flawell, of East Cowes, who was recently recognised in this year’s New Year’s Honours List.
Ben, 46, was diagnosed with the condition last year.
Ben, his wife Charlotte, daughter Izzy and son Louie, had only just found their dream home, which required work.
As a family they were going to upgrade the property, but that has not been possible as a result of Ben’s illness.
With colleagues feeling helpless, friends Amanda and Gary Sandison came up with the idea to hold a fundraising event so everyone can help towards getting Ben’s home together as he and his family had planned.
Ben’s family wanted to use the match as a way of making people more aware of what MND can do to a person.
Sadly, Ben is no longer working, but he is receiving support from Mountbatten Hospice in Newport.
You can still make a donation via JustGiving at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/paul-hemmett
Charlotte thanked everyone for coming along in force at St George's Park to support Sunday's event and for making donations to the cause.
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