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Players and coaches at Cwrt Rawlin Football Club have raised more than £2,500 for Ukraine – by collectively walking, running and cycling the distance from Caerphilly to Kyiv.
Following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the club’s Under 10s coach, Leighton Freeman, sat down with the club with everyone agreeing to play their part in supporting the people affected by the war.
In 2017, Amnesty International, which is a charity focused on human rights in the United Kingdom, launched the ‘Football Welcomes Refugees Month’ every April.
With that in mind, Leighton had the idea of each age group at the club pitching in and running, cycling or walking the equivalent distance to Kyiv – some 1,653 miles.
Speaking to Caerphilly Observer, Leighton said: “We were all watching the events unfold and knew we had to get involved.
“We set a target of raising £1,653 – £1 for every mile. The players immediately wanted to get going, with some age groups completing their miles in a single day.”
The club smashed its target in just a week as players and coaches ran around Caerphilly town, clocking up more than 1,990 miles and raising £2,518.
“There was a massive community response. Around 300 people got involved which is great, not just for the charity but also for health and wellbeing.
“We even had the secretary and the treasurer out running. It was good fun for a worthy cause.”
Leighton and Cwrt Rawlin FC have been working closely with the Football Association of Wales to increase inclusivity, with projects such as Rainbow Laces, Show Racism the Red Card and Football Welcomes Refugees Month.
“It’s important to us that we make everyone feel welcome. I’m working closely with groups in the area to get more people involved.
“That can include making provisions for religious groups, as well as anyone else that might be interested but nervous. Spreading the word is the most important thing.” Leighton added.
That success and positivity has clearly transferred to the pitch, as the Cwrt Rawlin FC senior side have won two trophies this season and are in contention for a third.
The seniors ended their decade-long trophy drought in April with a penalty shootout victory over Tonyrefail to win the South Wales FA Cup.
The following weekend, the side faced off against Ynysybwl in the Bernard Martin Cup Final. After a back and forth game, the Caerphilly-based side scored two late goals to seal a 3-1 victory and clinch their second trophy win of the season.
In order to win a treble, Cwrt Rawlin will face off against Cefn Hengoed on Wednesday, May 18 in the Greyhound Cup final.
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