Celebs step out for Jack’s Day
AROUND £2,400 RAISED TO HELP TRANSFORM LITTLE BOY’S HOME
STARS from X Factor and Big Brother laced up their boots for a charity football match to help a project transforming a Nuneaton family’s life.
Jack’s Day raised around £2,400 for the Oldacres family, whose little boy Jack suffers from a rare and painful skin condition called Nethertons.
Businesses and tradesman from around the town are currently helping to transform the family’s home in Stockingford by extending it to include a specialist wet room and hydrotherapy suite to help ease the daily pain suffered by the St Paul’s Primary School pupil.
Funding is ongoing for the project but it has received a huge boost as a result of the Jack’s Day.
The highlight was a football game that saw the likes of X Factor winner Sam Bailey and Big Brother winner Jason Burrill line up alongside local footballers past and present at the Stockingford Pavilion.
Jack’s dad Danny, a manager at Royal Mail, said: “We are over the moon - it couldn’t have gone any better really. The weather was perfect, so many people came along, it was fantastic.”
Sam Bailey is a family friend and was quick to sign up to the match, having previously taken part in a previous game for Jack.
Then, through other friends, the Big Brother 2016 winner Jason Burrill said he would play too – driving four hours from Brighton just to take part.
“We can’t thank them both enough, they were brilliant,” Danny added.
He and his wife Julie were also keen to thank all those who helped make the day a success, including Tom Atkins, Paul Hextall, Matthew Cawthorne and Chrissy Ridgway from Nuneaton Round Table for arranging the barbecue, and the Stirchley Burger Company, who donated all of the meat for free, and all of the staff at the Piv.
But most of all they want to thank those who came along on the day: “It was brilliant to see so many people, we are so grateful,” Danny added.
“We still had between 100 and 150 people at the Piv at night for the band, which was great - we can’t thank people enough.”
Having raised £40,000 for Netherton research in the past, the Oldacres say that once the house project has finished, they will continue their support to help find a cure.
“This was the last match that I will organise for Jack. We will be concentrating on Netherton research and other good causes in the future, so it was a fantastic way to bow out really,” he concluded.