Famous faces from hit TV show Hollyoaks will line up against National Grid staff in a special charity football match at Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium on Saturday 23 May.
The celebrity event, also featuring Britain’s Got Talent finalist Faryl Smith, has been organised by employees at National Grid’s Northampton office to raise money for Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB).
The match will see Northampton employees team up with Heart Northampton radio presenters Simon Jagger and Chris Woods, and former Northampton Town player Paul Curtis, to form the Northampton All Stars. They will take on the Hollyoaks football team, captained by Nick Pickard, who plays Tony Hutchinson in the soap.
National Grid is an official partner of Special Olympics GB, which enables athletes with learning difficulties to take part in major sporting events. All money raised from the event will go towards sponsoring the East Midlands Special Olympics team’s kit, training venues and fees for entering local and national competitions.
Special Olympics GB athletes from Northamptonshire will walk out alongside the players, and 30 National Grid volunteers will be acting as mascots and ball-boys during the match.
Faryl Smith will be opening the event. And others lending their support on the day will be the Northampton Cheerleading Academy, pupils from the Razzle Dazzle Stage School and Chanelle Paul, Miss Carnival Queen UK (whose dad is an employee at National Grid’s Northampton Office).
Tickets for the match go on sale on Friday 1 May at Northampton Town’s Box Office (phone 01604 683777) and cost £7.50 for adults, £5 for children & concessions and £20 for a family ticket.
Martina Smith, Operational Support Administrator at National Grid Northampton and organiser of the event, said: ‘My brother and my cousin both suffer with a learning disability, so when National Grid joined forces with Special Olympics GB I knew straight away that I wanted to help in any way I could.
‘The Northamptonshire Special Olympics group has been active for a year now and I wanted to organise an event that would raise money and advertise what we’re all about. I really encourage everyone to come along, dig deep and have a wonderful day out.’
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For further media information only, please contact Doranna Rizzo, National Grid Media Relations, on 01926 655373