Charity match nets a stunning total for Fareham centre

Gosport’s Gosham Rangers went head to head with Fareham’s Borough Town in a friendly at Petersfield Town FC for The Rainbow Centre.

It managed to raise an impressive £555.24 – topping the fundraisers’ goal of £500.

Yvonne Campbell, fundraiser at the Palmerston Drive centre said: ‘We’re chuffed to bits. It wasn’t something that we thought would happen.

‘Two years ago the centre was almost shut down because it literally had no money in the reserves at all.

‘So to be here today is amazing.’

The fixture was arranged by the founders of the Gosham Rangers, Alistair Miveld, Mike Smith and Scott Mills. It was a close-fought contest, with the match tied when the whistle blew at the end.

However, Rangers clinched the victory in the penalty shootout.

As well as the action on the pitch, there was also face-painting, a raffle and a cake sale which all helped to drum up cash.

Scott said there was a united atmosphere to the event, with children pitching in to help collect cash in buckets.

He added: ‘We started out with the target of £500 but we knew that was hugely ambitious.

‘A mammoth effort got us to £450 and we all had a last big push to get us closer to the target. We were absolutely delighted to find that we had raised the total of £555.24, amazed in fact.’

The Rainbow Centre helps more than 100 disabled children and adults. For details, see rainbowcentre.org