Football match raises money for Spina Bifida Charity

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Football match raises money for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus charity

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POSTIES from York’s two delivery offices hung up their mail bags to go head-to-head in a charity football match.

The sponsored event was held at the Railway Institute grounds, off Holgate Road, and saw York Central clinching victory over York West in a nail-biting penalty shoot out after the match finished 2-2.

The postal workers’ efforts have raised almost £500 for the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH) – a charity that supports the grandchild of one of their colleagues.

Lynne Cannidge, 53, who delivers letters in the villages near York, asked the teams if they would support ASBAH because her three-year-old granddaughter, Ellie Ackroyd, suffers from hydrocephalus.

“It’s a condition known as ‘water on the brain’ and means that Ellie has to have a shunt in her brain to drain this fluid,” she said.

“If it gets blocked and we don’t get her to hospital in time, she can end up with brain damage, so we live in fear of it becoming blocked.

“If she gets a sickness bug or a virus, the symptoms are the same as if her shunt was blocked, so we need to take her to Leeds Hospital for tests.

“I was devastated when we found out she had hydrocephalus. It was such a shock. But it’s amazing what they can do and I’m just thankful that she’s here – we treasure every moment because she’s absolutely gorgeous.”

The ASBAH funds research into the conditions of spina bifida and hydrocephalus and offers information and advice to families, running a dedicated helpline and organising information days.

Lynne, from Copmanthorpe, said she wanted to thank everybody who had donated prizes to a raffle that was drawn after the football match. It is the third year York West’s delivery office manager, Mike Boyes, has organised the charity football match, which in previous years has raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support and the Multiple Sclerosis Trust.