A volunteer-led group of Sheffield football fans have successfully raised over £15,000 to support children and young people with life-shortening and life-threatening conditions across the region. 

The annual sponsored charity football match organised by the Sheffield Fans Derby took place on Thursday 2nd May and saw fans of Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United playing against each other to raise money for charitable causes. This year the event took place at Hillsborough Stadium and generated much-needed funds for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Event organiser Iain Atkins initiated the Sheffield Fans Derby in 2008. Since its inception the annual event has raised a total of £100,270.

Iain shared, “Our aim is to unite fans of Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, in one of the cities iconic football homes, all whilst raising money for important charitable causes each year. The support from the local community has been incredible, growing year after year. It’s brilliant that we’ve harnessed the power of football to raise over £100k for local charities through this event.”

He continued, “We first supported Bluebell Wood in 2008 during our second event. The work they do for families across Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire is crucial in helping families through tough times, creating memories, and providing the best specialist support. Because of this, it’s really gratifying that this year has been our most successful yet. Playing at Hillsborough was fantastic, with nearly 600 attendees. It was another close, entertaining match, with Sheffield Wednesday winning 3-1, and most importantly, raising thousands for Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.”

The match was refereed by former Premier League referee Uriah Rennie, who remarked, “It was a real pleasure to see the immense efforts that those in attendance put in to make this evening such a special event for the hospice. The players were full of enthusiasm and commitment. Their efforts were appreciated by a supportive and noisy crowd. I could tell that being involved with the Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice was impactful to so many. It was a great success and a positive reflection of the charity as a whole "

Pip Colley, Regional Fundraiser at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, expressed gratitude, saying, “We’d like to extend a big thank you to Sheffield Fans Derby for raising such a fantastic sum for Bluebell Wood. The effort and commitment of the fundraisers, players, supporters, and sponsors has been incredible. Every single person involved has made a huge contribution to the families, children, young people, and babies in our care.”

Pip went on to say, “I’d also like to mention the incredible contributions of Bluebell Wood’s volunteers, who did so much on the night. Thanks to Ozzie Owl for making an appearance and to Sheffield Wednesday for hosting this wonderful event at their ground.”

Iain Atkins also wanted to extend his thanks to those who helped make the event such a success. “We would like to thank everyone who played, attended, sponsored part of the event, or supported one of the players. The event could not have been the success it was without their support. Special thanks to our main sponsors: Omletec Ltd, MJ Flooring, Pendle Sportswear, and Sheffield & District Fair Play League.”

For inspiration on how you can help Bluebell Wood support local children and families, please visit www.bluebellwood.org