Charity dinner raises £14,000 in aid of wheelchair rugby

Thursfields Charity Dinner has raised around £14,000 towards forming a new wheelchair rugby club in Birmingham.

Scores of guests attended the black tie event at Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club in May, hosted by former England and British Lions rugby star Tim Stimpson, with guest speakers including former Wales and British Lions legend Phil Bennett and Paralympian and ex-Team GB Captain Alan Ash.

Nick O’Hara, managing director at Thursfields, said: “It was an excellent evening and we were delighted to work with Wooden Spoon and Moseley Rugby club to raise funds for this exciting project.”

Over £8,000 was raised from the raffle, auction and ticket sales, in addition to more than £5,500 which was donated prior to or on the night.

All funds will now go to Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby, and will be spent on the creation of a Birmingham Moseley Wheelchair Rugby Club, the city and West Midlands’ only wheelchair rugby club.

Sarah Webb, chief executive at Wooden Spoon said: “The formation of a new wheelchair rugby club in Birmingham will enable young people with disabilities better opportunities to play this exciting sport and help positively transform their lives.”

Robin Johnson, director at Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club, said: “We’re really grateful to Thursfields for sponsoring this dinner which has raised crucial funds towards the creation of a wheelchair rugby club.”