Sanctuary staff put their football allegiances to one side and pulled on their boots to raise money for a cardiac charity on Saturday, 31st May.

Two five-a-side teams, Real Sanctuary A and Atletico Sanctuary B, led by managing director of Sanctuary Hereward, Nick ”Fabio” Abbey, took to the pitch for the Jack Maddams Memorial Football Tournament at Strood Leisure Centre.

The competition, featuring 48 teams, was staged in memory of Jack Maddams who sadly passed away on the 30th March 2008, just days before his 18th birthday, due to a suspected electrical failure with his heart.

Jack’s family and friends from Sir Joseph Williamson Maths School in Rochester, worked together to organise the fundraising tournament and all money raised from the event will be donated to the charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young), to help raise awareness of the cardiac risks for young people.

Nick said: “We were pleased to join so many others in highlighting this terrible illness and the great work being done to understand more about it. Any of us could have had this condition, or seen it in one of our family.”

On the day Real Sanctuary A battled their way through the group stages before falling at the first hurdle in the cup knockout round to Maidstone United. Atletico Sanctuary B had less success in the group but did progress to the plate knockout stage where they reached the quarter finals, before defeat to Moat Housing Society.

Sanctuary team member Paul Rider, who’s daughter also suffers with a serious heart condition, added it was important to raise awareness of the risks for young people. He said: “Leilani, my daughter, had to have heart surgery at 15 months and knowing she will need another operation in the future made me particularly want to take part and raise the profile of this charity.”