Gabby’s Football Fundraiser
Gabby’s Football Fundraiser
Date: 4th August 2026
Earlier this year, Gabby organised a community football fundraiser, bringing together family, friends and local supporters to raise funds for The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, a place close to their hearts. The event was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together with heart, humour and a shared purpose, raising just under £1,500 including Gift Aid for The Royal Orthopaedic Charity (ROC).
The fundraiser was organised in honour of Gabby and Luke’s dad, Laurence. He has lived with Rheumatoid Arthritis for as long as they can remember, a tough, degenerative condition that brings daily pain, limited mobility, and countless challenges.
Over the past couple of years, his health has worsened significantly. He has faced two knee replacements, a hip replacement, and numerous other painful complications, with more treatment still ahead. Despite this, his trademark positivity hasn’t wavered.
“Through every hospital stay, appointment, and physiotherapy session, The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital worked to make a incredibly difficult journey as comfortable as possible, which is exactly why the charity was chosen” says Gabby
Why Football?
The choice of football was no accident. Laurence played for years at different levels and coached countless teams. Football has always been a huge part of his life, and in recent years it’s become something special he’s shared with Gabby and Luke too.
Towards the end of summer, just before his mobility declined further, he was even coaching Gabby herself — a moment that’s become a cherished memory for the family. Sharing the same love of the game has brought light during some very difficult periods.
A Match Full of Spirit
And so, players from across the local community joined Gabby this weekend, supported loudly by friends, regulars, and familiar face. Among them were bar and security staff from Attic Brewery Stirchley.
As Attic Brew Co Tap in Stirchley shared on Instagram:
“Today a few of our amazing bar staff – plus members of security took to the footie pitch to raise much needed funds for ROC. This fantastic charity has really supported the family of Gabby, who you may recognise from pouring you that pint of Intuition on a Saturday night. A spirited game ended in a 6–6 draw with some dubious penalty taking.”
The game delivered everything you could want from a charity match: determination, laughter, competitive edge, and more than a few questionable penalties. Ending in a 6–6 draw, it kept everyone entertained.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who played, donated, shared the fundraiser, volunteered their time, or simply came along to show support. Events like this don’t happen without generosity, effort, and a strong community spirit — and this weekend proved we have that in abundance.
Gabby’s football fundraiser is a reminder that sometimes the biggest impact comes from local pitches, familiar faces, and people choosing to look after one another.
Here’s to community, resilience, and doing good — even with dodgy penalties.
If you would like to host a fundraiser for ROC in your community, simply email roc@nhs.net, we’d love to hear from you.
