10:21am Thursday 9th July 2009
By James Rush
The mother of a seriously ill eight-year-old boy has organised a football tournament to raise money for a children’s hospice.
Shelly Turpin is raising money for Martin House, a children’s hospice near Wetherby. Her son, Joshua, who needs corrective heart surgery, is cared for there.
Joshua, who has an artery missing between his heart and lungs and a serious condition which suppresses his immune system, will undergo the major operation later this year.
Mother-of-four Mrs Turpin, of Bradford Road, Clayton, started a fundraising campaign for Martin House this year in recognition of the help it has provided her family.
She has now organised a five-a-side football tournament for Sunday, July 26, and has appealed for teams.
She said Joshua, a pupil at Heaton Royds Special School, Bradford, described Martin House as a “lifesaver” for her and Joshua, who spends time at the hospice.
She said: “It’s for both Joshua and his family. Joshua has lots of fun and enjoys himself.
“For me it means so much because when I go there I’m worn out from looking after Joshua and when I go there I can just relax.”
Mrs Turpin said she hoped the tournament would consist of 40 teams, with a male section and a female section.
Each team should have five players and three substitutes with each player aged 16 or over.
The event will be held at Marley Stadium, Keighley, followed by a free buffet and disco at the Fiddlers Three, in Pasture Lane, Clayton.
Teams pay £40 to enter the event, which has been organised with the help of Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Police, the Foot-ball League Trust and Thackley Stadium.
For more information or to enter a team, contact Mrs Turpin on 077754 664701 or (01274) 889171.
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