Horspath took up bat and ball to raise £3,000 for Sobell House Hospice by organising a charity tournament in the summer.
Members of the HCPCL Division 2 club gathered on Sunday to hand over a cheque to the Oxford hospice, which provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to adults living in Oxfordshire with a life-limiting illness, plus support to their family and friends.
Eleven teams consisting of men’s and women’s players, juniors, friends, supporters and families took part in the Charity Tape Ball Cricket six-a-side Competition at the Recreation Ground on August Bank Holiday Sunday.
Sobell House was the chosen charity as the club lost three members over the past year in Stan Hawkeswood, Paul Headford and Paul Hicks, who received care from the hospice.
With the sides wearing coloured shirts generously donated by Newtrim UK and two matches running alongside each other throughout the day, the club was a hive of activity.
Music accompanied the action with sixes and wickets galore as tape balls – tennis balls wrapped in electrical tape – flew to all parts in front of a good-sized crowd with villagers out in force to support the event.
Horspath secretary Russell Smith said: “It was a brilliant effort from everyone involved to raise such an amount for Sobell and is something the club is very proud of.
“It also successfully brought together all sections of the club – men’s, women’s, youth and social members – on the one day for a most worthy cause.”
Sobell ambassador and trustee Greg Birdseye was at the club on the charity day, and was to receive the cheque over the weekend.
He said: “I was delighted to offer Sobell House’s profound thanks for the donation and give a short talk on why this generosity is so welcome, particularly to fund some of the special help that Sobell can provide, such as music therapy, art therapy and even personalised catering.
“For example, donations such as this enable the chef to make birthday and wedding anniversary cakes for people in the care of the hospice.
“In the summer, it was really nice to meet people enjoying themselves playing cricket and seeing them so committed to the chosen charity of the year in Sobell House.”
📸 Helen Messenger
