Ashton United to host 'Willow Wood Day'

Ashton United FC have announced they will be holding a charity fundraising event in support of the Willow Wood Hospice on 29 March.   

The Saturday matchday against Hebburn Town will be turned into a dedicated ‘Willow Wood Day’ at Hurst Cross, and will feature raffles, auctions, and activities to raise money for the Hospice, which provides care for over 700 people across Tameside and Glossop. 

The club will open at midday ahead of the 3pm kick-off for a darts competition and raffle, which will be drawn at half-time and will include a signed Ashton United FC shirt as its top prize. 

All profits from the match will be donated to the Willow Wood Hospice, which relies on community donations and a team of 500 volunteers to provide specialist palliative care for patients in the local community. 

The Hospice has said they will be facing cuts to services without turning to alternative sources of funding, and is currently facing an income deficit of £725,000 this year.  

Willow Wood also holds a special place in the hearts of Ashton United’s co-chairmen, David and Jonathan Burke, whose father and grandfather Jonny Burke – who also held the club’s record of most games attended - was cared for by the Hospice before he passed away. 

A spokesperson for the club said: “Willow Wood Hospice are dependent on fundraising events and donations to survive and therefore we decided we would like to do something special to help.  

“We hope that by donating all profits from our game against Hebburn Town on Saturday 29th March we can make a real difference.  

“We now need the support of local people, whether they support Ashton United or not, to come along to the game, get involved in the things that are going on and make the day a massive success.” 

Joanne Lees, the Partnership Development Lead at Willow Wood, said the hospice was grateful for the support.  

“We would like to thank our friends at Ashton United for dedicating this special matchday to support us,” she said. 

“It is a fantastic opportunity for us to help spread the word about what we do and raise awareness about the essential services we provide. We hope as many people as possible can attend and raise vital funds to support hospice care.” 

Tickets for the match can be bought at the gate or in advance on the Ashton United website. Tickets are £12 for adults, £8 for over-65s, students and concessions, and £1 for under-12s.