Havant fat-fighting footballers raise £7000 for Portsmouth Down’s Syndrome Association

Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association provides a wide range of specialist services supporting development and education and offers training to assist families and professionals to provide effective support for children and their families from the point of diagnosis.

The £6100 raised from the tournament was supplemented by a further £900 raised in a separate match against a team from The Westleigh Pub in Havant.

MAN v FAT Havant co-manager Anthony Bowbanks formed the club’s charity committee in 2023 along with fellow players and co-manager Steve Emery; charity coordinator Lewis Bell, and fellow player Wayne Grant. Twenty of the club’s players played in the tournament alongside teams entered by other local groups. The tournament was supported by Gary Pratt, General Manager at Havant & Waterlooville Football Club, where MAN v FAT Havant meets every Monday evening, with other local companies acting as sponsors to help cover costs.

“Last year, we managed to raise around £1500 for the Portsmouth Down’s Syndrome Association, and I must admit we were a little disheartened,” says Anthony.

“So, this year we said we wanted to go out and smash that figure completely. We are now developing other fundraising plans. The lads are up for doing a couple of charity walks; we also want to do an 11-a-side tournament and we have another tournament in the works. We want to get as much awareness for the charity and raise as much money as we can.”

MAN v FAT Football currently has 8,200 players taking part in more than 150 leagues across the UK. The total amount of weight lost by MAN v FAT players in the UK currently stands at more than 700,000 pounds. It is aimed at men with a BMI of higher than 27.5.

Before matches, the players are weighed, which is followed by a 30-minute game of six-a-side, with extra goal bonuses awarded to teams based on the amount of weight players have lost. Players receive additional support including healthy meal recipe ideas and tips on general fitness.

And the charitable activities fit well with the community feeling that the MAN v FAT club has generated.

“We all obviously join MAN v FAT to enjoy ourselves, have fun, get fit, get healthy and lose weight, and when we come together to do something positive for a charity, that also has a positive knock -on effect on improving mental health and our own sense of wellbeing.”

If you’re struggling with your weight and MAN v FAT Havant sounds like it could be the community for you then you can register at manvfatfootball.org/havant