was appalled at the recent vandalism of the posts at the club that has been part of his life for many years and wanted to support the cost of replacing them. Perry is a Firefighter based at Polesworth Fire Station so he approached his Crew Commander, Matt Mills, to see whether his crew could help his former club.
Matt Mills spoke with Julie Douglas, Club Secretary who explained that most usual sources of funding are not available for the club to access due to the club’s current circumstances.

Matt Mills said:
‘The funds raised from the Annual Charity event are used to support both the Firefighter’s Charity and local Community groups. We have a responsibility to ensure that the funds donated will be used for appropriate activities. Having discussed Atherstone RFC’s issues with Julie, I am happy to donate £200 to support the club.’

Julie Douglas visited the Station on Monday evening to meet Matt and thank him and his crew personally on behalf of the club.

‘We are a small club run by a number of volunteers who work tirelessly to make sure that our players have the facilities they need to enjoy their sport. We can ill afford the additional costs associated with the recent act of vandalism. Players and club members have been great in responding to the current situation with one player, Nick Wall, setting up a Just Giving Page to try and raise additional funds. The donation from Polesworth Fire Station is very much appreciated and has made a significant contribution to our target of £2000.’

Another former Atherstone RFC player, local business man Paul Jephcote, has also made a donation to the club to support replacing the damaged posts.

‘Although Paul did not want any public recognition for his contribution, I feel it is important to acknowledge the support the club has received. Small club’s like ours do not attract large amounts of sponsorship. We value the contributions made by individuals whether that’s financial contribution or contributing their time and their skills.’

‘We have had to repair the posts as an interim measure due to the timescale before the first home game of the season. We could not have done this without players and committee members working together to repair and repaint the posts. We are very grateful for their support.’

Anybody wishing to contribute to Atherstone RFC’s fundraising efforts can do so through https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/AtherstoneRugbyFootballClub