Having raised an initial £800 through collections at the University’s Bedford campus and Baldock Town Football Club for EFDS, Josh Dyball, Recreation Assistant at the University’s Alexander Sports Centre, in Bedford, enlisted the help of MSc Research Student, Lee Warren.

During the past month, Josh, Lee and Sam Page, a third year Sports Science and Coaching student, have raised a further £770 thanks to a raffle, with prizes including sports memorabilia (Arsenal Football Club signed football by Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Thomas Vermaelan), food vouchers (free full platter at Nando’s) and events (a pair of tickets for Sky TV's SoccerAM live show).

“Watching the London 2012 Paralympics inspired me to contribute something to disability sports,” said Josh.

“I wanted to raise awareness for a relevant charity and Professor John Brewer (Director of Sport and Sports Enterprise at Bedfordshire) recommended the English Federation of Disability Sports, who are the national body for disabled people in sport and physical activity in England.

“EFDS do a tremendous amount of work in the local community, getting disabled people to participate in sport. Lee and Sam have been a big help in spreading the word out there about the charity.”

Further EFDS fundraising events the trio have planned involve an online sports memorabilia auction and a futsal tournament at the Bedford Sports Hall, at the Polhill Avenue campus.

Josh is preparing to run in the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon for the charity and Lee, who is waiting for his place to be confirmed, hopes to join him.

*If you would like to enter a team into the futsal tournament or make a donation, please contact Lee on lee.warren@study.beds.ac.uk or Josh on josh.dyball@beds.ac.uk

Photo courtesy of Michaela Greene.