£900 raised in football ground charity challenge

c2c STAFF RAISE £900 IN FOOTBALL GROUND CHARITY CHALLENGE

Six employees from National Express train operator c2c have raised over £900 for a local Senior Citizens Club following a public transport odyssey round all 13 of London’s football league grounds.

It took the team 13 hours to complete the trek, covering 154 miles across London using only trains, tubes and buses. They were undertaking the event to raise money to fund Christmas dinners for residents at the Lime Close Senior Citizens Club in South Ockendon.

The team raised £600 from donations by colleagues, friends and family, while c2c parent company National Express donated the remaining £300 towards the appeal from its Charity Panel, which makes donations to charities recommended by local staff.

c2c Assistant Group Station Manager Julie Davis, who organised the event, said: “It was a real challenge trying to visit all the clubs in just one day, and we were exhausted by the end – especially as it was pouring down with rain! My late nan used to go to the Lime Close Senior Citizens Club and spent so many happy years there with her friends. We hope the money we’ve raised will help them have a great dinner and a proper celebration this Christmas.”

Chairperson of the club, Margaret Lyth, said: “Our club brings together people from the local community and gives them a place to socialise and have a hot meal. We are very grateful for the donation made by Julie and her c2c colleagues and this will make a real difference this Christmas.”

The c2c staff who took part in the challenge were Julie Davis, Assistant Revenue Protection Manager Scott Walker, Group Station Manager Cassandra Sutton, driver Geoff Powell, booking clerk  Darren Robins and train captain Glen Barry. The group visited the home grounds of West Ham, Arsenal, QPR, Crystal Palace, Barnet, Fulham, Brentford, Wimbledon, Millwall, Leyton Orient, Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, and they finally finished at Dagenham & Redbridge.