A CRICKET match and fundraising day in memory of a Downend mum has raised enough to pay for three days of vital cancer research.
Wendy Pound was well known at Downend Cricket Club, where husband Andy is currently scorer for the first team and son Matt, 20, is a player.
She was also known to hundreds of former pupils of Christ Church Junior School, where she had worked as a lunchtime supervisor.
Wendy was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2020 and died five months later, aged 53.
In the three years since her death, Andy has organised a memorial match at Downend in her memory to raise money for charity Brain Tumour Research.
This year’s game was originally due to take place in July but was washed out by poor weather and rearranged to coincide with the club’s President’s XI v Chairman’s XI match on the August bank holiday weekend, with the teams playing for two trophies.
Matt was unable to attend the rearranged game, having gone to Australia for a year’s study at Western Sydney University, as part of his sports business management degree at Leeds Beckett University.
However Andy featured as a member of the match-winning President’s XI and, while he said his grand total of one run from seven balls was not a highlight, the match and accompanying charity raffle, with a large number of prizes donated by local businesses, had made a big contribution to the charity’s research into treatments for the disease, which is the most deadly cancer among under-40s.
The raffle raised £2,500, part of a total of £3,800 from the day.
In addition Andy’s employer Gallagher pledged funding of £700 for him and each of his four colleagues who took part in the event, taking the total to £7,300.
Andy said: “All in all the money will pay for three days of research, and over the past three years we’ve raised enough to fund 12 days.
“To raise that sort of money is huge
“It was disappointing we couldn’t play the memorial match on the proper day, close to Wendy’s birthday, but these things happen.
“The match was all played in good humour and we had a thoroughly good day. One player, Andy Long, was playing his last match and another, Andy McEwen,was playing together with his son for the first time.
“We wouldn’t have raised this money without the community coming together and supporting us.”
Anyone who would like to add a donation to the appeal can do so at www.justgiving.com/Andy-Pound.