Two friends have taken on an ambitious challenge to organise a charity football event from scratch in just 90 days, with the aim of raising enough money to fund a full day of care at Thames Hospice.
The event has been organised to raise money for the hospice, which provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
The organisers announced the challenge on 16 June, despite having no team, venue, opposition, vendors or entertainment arranged at the time.
They have now reached the end of their 90-day challenge, with the football match forming part of a wider family-friendly fundraising day.
The event will include children’s activities, local stalls and food vendors, live music, a penalty shootout competition, raffles and an auction.
The organisers said the cause was particularly personal to both of them after their families received care from Thames Hospice.
One of the organisers’ fathers spent three months being cared for by the hospice last year before becoming well enough to return home.
He needed the hospice’s care again for another month at the beginning of this year.
The second organiser, Jack, also has a personal connection to the charity, with both of his parents receiving care from Thames Hospice within 28 days of one another in February and March 2025.
The pair said their experiences of the hospice’s work inspired them to find a way to give something back.
“We wanted to find a way to give something back,” they said.
As well as the football match, the fundraising day will feature a number of prizes donated by businesses and organisations.
These include England cricket tickets, a four-ball at a historic golf club, vouchers from local businesses, celebrity-signed memorabilia and other experiences and prizes.
The organisers are also appealing for more local businesses to get involved and support the fundraising effort.
They said they hoped the event would showcase the “generosity of our local community” while raising money for a cause which has played an important role in both families.
More information about the event and the organisers’ 90-day challenge is being shared across their social media channels.
