Maidenhead United’s Community Trust will hold their first Charity Quiz Night of 2023 on Wednesday 1st February with Maidenhead-based children’s hospice Alexander Devine to be the main beneficiary.
The charity – which provides essential support to families of children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions across Berkshire and the surrounding counties – have been nominated by one of the club’s commercial partners to take 50% of the £5-per-person entry fee with the other 50% going to the winning team with the Community Trust scheduling further events over the next few months.
The Magpies – as a community club at the heart of the town which runs nearly fifty youth football teams – charitable endeavours have been a large part of the club’s activities over the past few years. When Lockdown was enforced at the start of the COVID pandemic, the club’s volunteers help set up a hotline to coordinate support of the most vulnerable individuals in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. Following Lockdown, the club’s ‘150 Challenge’ helped raise more than £30,000 to be shared amongst 15 charities.
The first charity quiz, held last year, raised over £350 for Young Epilepsy – the charity chosen by the family of Magpies winger Sam Barratt’s partner, who lost her beloved younger brother and keen amateur local footballer Zach Wellstead last summer due to an epileptic episode – with the Magpies Stripes Bar packed out with Zach’s Friends and Family. A matchday bucket collection held earlier in the season topped up the amount donated to this important charity.
Magpies Secretary Neil Maskell explained: “With charities locally and nationally struggling like the rest of us in these post-pandemic times, what better way to enjoy an evening of brain-teasing entertainment by coming along to Stripes Bar and helping us raise money for a fantastic local cause. A football club at our level is not all about over-inflated players wages and Sky Sports televised matches. We are in the heart of our community because without the local public behind us and us behind then what is the point of a semi-professional football club? The bar will open at 7:30pm for an 8pm start and if the evening is supported anything like the Young Epilepsy benefit quiz it would be advisable for quizzers across the county to book up a table in advance via secretary@maidenheadunitedfc.org ”
