AFC Telford United pair to carry kit 80 miles for charity ahead of season finale
Two AFC Telford United staff members are preparing an 80-mile charity walk while carrying the first team's kit in the lead up to the Bucks' final game of the season.
Kit man Tom Mansell and AFC Telford United Foundation coach Kyran Purohit will be trekking up the country to Southport on a four-day walk prior to the fixture on Saturday, April 25, aiming to arrive at Haig Avenue in time to set the kit out for the squad prior to kick off at 12.30pm.
The pair are fundraising for two charities - Prostate Cancer UK and Alder Hey Children Hospital - and hope to mark what could be a day of success on the field for the National League North play-off chasers with a feel-good story off it.
"When the fixtures get released every football fan will look straight at who they've got on the opening day, who they've got around Christmas and the new year and who they've got on the last day, and Southport is always a side I look out for," Tom Mansell explained. "Even when I was just a supporter of the club in the stands Southport was always a nice away day for me.
"I remember I took my daughter there one season which was really nice, and when I saw we had them on the final day I thought there would be no better way to close out the season than with a fundraiser for charity.
"I was sat at home thinking who I could ask to join me because it will be an 80-plus-mile walk with all the kit, and Kyran was my first thought. He's well liked in the community and does a lot of good things with the foundation; he's a young, physically fit lad which is obviously helpful and we have a good friendship."
The walk will be split into four sections, the bulk of it in the first three days. Mansell and Purohit will set off from the SEAH Stadium in the early hours of Wednesday, April 22 aiming to arrive in Nantwich for their first stop. From there they will head to Runcorn on the Thursday, before heading to Ormskirk on the Friday, leaving them less than two hours from their final destination.
However, Tom explained how a change to the game's scheduling has cost the pair a relaxing final leg of the journey.
"I was looking forward to a nice lie in on the Saturday and a good Premier Inn breakfast, but kickoffs across the National League North have been brought forward to 12.30 so we won't be able to now," he laughed. "We were going to turn up at the ground at about 11 and get the changing room ready for the lads, because they usually arrive at the ground around 1, but that's had to change now.
"The Southport kit man Hamish is a friend of mine and he's very keen on the idea, and I believe he's agreed to meet us at the Premier Inn in Ormskirk to walk the rest of the way with us.
"We have got some collection buckets that we'll have around the stadium, but for now we're focusing on the JustGiving page and there are lots of QR codes up around the stadium that people can use to donate."
