#EduFootyAid is a new charity football event raising money for Mind, the country’s leading mental health charity. What makes #EduFootyAid extra special is that all the players are primary school teachers.
#EduFootyAid is a new charity football event raising money for Mind, the country’s leading mental health charity. What makes #EduFootyAid extra special is that all the players are primary school teachers.
The first match is between ‘The North East Elite’ and ‘The UK All Stars’ and is taking place at Lanchester Primary School in Durham on Saturday October 6th. Gates open at 12pm and kick-off is at 2pm. All the players are fundraising together and hope to raise £2,000.
It is being organised by the Striker Boy campaign which was set up in memory of former primary school teacher Jonny Zucker, who sadly took his own life in 2016. Mental health is a key concern for the education sector, particularly primary education, with rates of suicide amongst primary school teachers nearly double the national average (Office of National Statistics, 2017).
Whilst the cause is very serious the event itself has been designed as a joyful and inclusive community day; ideal for children and adults of all ages. As well as the football there will be stalls, raffles, face-painting, refreshments and all the merriment that you’d expect to find at a great British school fair. The event is free for spectators and you can register via the Striker Boy campaign Facebook page.
Jane Davis, headteacher at Lanchester Primary School said: “We’re delighted to be hosting the first ever #EduFootyAid event. This event is a fantastic opportunity for us to engage the local community and raise money and awareness for a really important cause.”.
Jonny Gould, broadcaster and Striker Boy ambassador said, “Football and raising mental health awareness are both incredibly important to me so I think these events are an absolutely fantastic idea.”.
This event has only been made possible thanks to generous sponsorship from a number of suppliers within the education sector, namely; TES, Think-IT, Groupcall, Animate2Educate, The Literacy Shed, Primary PE Passport, and 2Simple.
If you would like to show your support for the teachers playing in #EduFootyAid you can make a donation on JustGiving. Any teachers who would like to play in future #EduFootyAid events should head to www.strikerboy.com to register their interest.