Pompey fundraiser for Alec Lumb's family continues to "exceed expectations" as it reaches another landmark
A fundraiser for the family of the Pompey fan who died at Fratton Park on Saturday continues to “exceed expectations” as it reaches another landmark raising a staggering amount.
Alec Lumb, 63, of Gosport, died at the Portsmouth versus Middlesbrough game on Saturday, January 18. A fundraiser was set up by Charlotte Davies, 35, of Portchester, on Sunday, which after two days has already surpassed £13,000, smashing its initial target of £1,000.
Charlotte set up the fundraiser as she has personal experience of how a sudden death can impact a family, both emotionally and financially. She said: “I lost my brother, Christopher Bell, back in July last year, so I know how it feels to lose somebody quickly and unexpectedly.
“He passed away due to an undiagnosed heart disease. The funeral costs can be such a burden which is why we wanted to help Alec’s family.”
The fundraiser has not just seen the Pompey community pull together, but the football community in general, with donations from Middlesbrough fans as well. At the time of writing the overall total raised is £13,262 from 611 donations.
The number of donations has taken Charlotte by surprise, and with every donator added to a raffle for a chance to win a signed Colby Bishop shirt, it has also led to a lot of work for her daughter Evie Clark. Charlotte said: “She has been helping me with it all. She is the one writing all the names down for the raffle and obviously its become quite time consuming for her. She is only 12 and she is a massive Pompey fan and was keen to get involved, bless her.”
Charlotte regularly runs a raffle for Pompey shirts to raise money for local charities, with Sports Gamer Pro sourcing the shirts and signatures. She already had the Colby Bishop shirt, who himself underwent heart surgery last summer, so saw it as the perfect chance to raise money for the family.
The shirts are usually raffled for around £300 but this fundraiser struck a chord with the Portsmouth community to have come out in force to raise money for a fellow Pompey fan. Pompey players Marlon Pack and Josh Murphy have donated to the cause with Eric Eisner also contributing.
Charlotte posted a thank you message on the GoFundMe page this morning after it passed £13,000, stating how it was “exceeding any expectations”. She said: “I have received so many messages, I can’t even get back to everyone, but people have been so kind saying nice things to me and my daughter.”
The message on the fundraising page added: “ £13k in 2 days, absolutely amazing. Just shows the real community spirit that comes with Pompey and football in general. All club rivalry aside, fans have come together to show respect to Alec and his family. They are all so grateful.”
The draw for the Bishop shirt will be made on Sunday, January 26, with donations after that still being taken to support the family.
To donate to the fundraising page for Alec’s family go to gofundme.com/f/alec-lumb