BATTLING Fat Lads Football Club have kindly donated £190 to Horton Housing Association following their charity football match against West Yorkshire Police and aim to donate a similar amount after their next fixture in June.

The charity side, based in Mirfield, began playing in fundraising fixtures when they joined the FA People’s Cup, raising money for Oddballs after one of their team members was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Since then, Battling Fat Lads have gone on to raise over £10,000 for a number of great causes, including Fairfield School, Byron Cardiology Unit, British Liver Trust and the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.

Back to the game itself, and despite an even encounter before the break, the side ultimately fell to defeat against the Police XI after a high scoring and entertaining second half.

Speaking after the match, captain Matt Grist said: “We have chosen Horton Housing to receive our donation for the next two games because we want to support a cause that is fundamental in creating safe places for families.

“As captain of the Fat Lads, I work in Bradford so I have directly seen the positive effects this charity can have on the families they support.”

Thirty years after developing from a homeless day shelter, Horton Housing provide specialist and supported accommodation across West and North Yorkshire.

They work closely with clients who have complex needs, ranging from homelessness, mental health issues, addiction, refugees, people fleeing domestic violence, young people and gypsies and travellers.

The donations will help purchase a number of starter packs for families and other people they support moving into new tenancies, as well as helping to fund engagement activities and other educational courses.

Jack Douglas, who is based in Bradford and works for Horton Housing, explained the role of the charity and how it supports people from different countries and backgrounds.

He said: “We help people and families who have trouble accessing mainstream housing, so that could be people experiencing homelessness, addiction, people fleeing domestic violence, refugees and asylum seekers.

“Horton Housing helps to provide support tenancies for people who are struggling. We have services across Bradford, North Yorkshire, Kirklees and Calderdale.

“We have temporary accommodation for homeless people and help them find long term accommodation and tenancies and lots of other services to help people.

“A lot of the work we do with families helps them to access accommodation that is suitable and fits their needs.

“We have a lot of clients who come from different countries so it is about helping people settle into new surroundings and we do that by providing them with English classes and activities of that nature to help people settle in.

“During the pandemic, services have had to run differently. We have had a lot of donations and we have tried to ramp that up because a lot of people have been experiencing financial problems and personal problems during this time.”

After Battling Fat Lads pledged to donate around £190 after their game in June, Douglas explained: “It’s nice to see external organisations and for teams to recognise us for the work we do and this shows that the work we do is in on the right line and making a difference to people who really need our help.

“In the future we want to continue to provide the services that we currently do already while aiming to always sort of improve and expand within the region.”