“Clubs need to be more prepared”: Hemsworth dad’s campaign to provide local football clubs with emergency shelters after son suffers serious injury
A campaign to provide local football clubs with emergency shelters has been launched after a 13-year-old waited three hours in the cold after suffering an injury during a recent match.
Ben Edwards, from Hemsworth, said he wants local clubs to “be more prepared” after his son, Thomas, waited more than three hours in the cold for an ambulance after he broke his leg during a match at New Rossington on October 19.
Ben said the injury occurred just after half time, and although Thomas was provided with a foil blanket, he had no privacy or protection from the cold and wind while he waited for the ambulance.
Ben said the club “didn’t have the facilities to accommodate an injury like that.”
He said: “Sadly, it took over three hours for an ambulance to arrive.
“During that time, my son was left lying on the cold ground with no privacy or shelter.
“We did everything we could to keep him warm, dry, and comfortable, but it was heart breaking.”
“That’s why I’m determined to make sure no other child – or parent – has to go through what we did,” he added.
Now, the father-of-three wants to “make sure that football clubs in our community are prepared for this kind of injury.”
Ben wants to raise £6,000 to provide local football clubs with emergency pop-up shelters – which cost around £70 per shelter – which would give injured players privacy and protection from the elements while they wait for medical assistance.
Ben said: “Clubs need to be more prepared and put the kids’ welfare and wellbeing first.”
“It’s just simply not good enough,” he added.
To raise the money, a charity football match will take place at Campsmount Academy in Doncaster, on January 31.
The charity event will see coaches from Askern Miners Football Club and Selby and District Junior Football League compete against each other in a 90-minute match, starting at 3pm, as well as an eight-team under 9s round robin featuring 28 mini-games, which will start at 9am.
The fundraiser’s Go Fund Me page can be found at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-give-shelter-and-privacy-to-players-suffering-serious-i