United for Heidi
Charity match raises thousands in memory of little star
A charity football match in memory of a young girl who passed away following a battle with sepsis has raised £2000 for charity.
Heidi’s Heroes, in memory of Heidi Cooper, was hosted by Blackburn United in aid of Sepsis Research and Brightest Star – a charity that supports bereaved parents.
Heidi is the daughter of ex-captain Andy Cooper and sadly passed away at just eight months old in July 2019.
Andy and wife Charlotte decided to raise awareness about the condition as well as raising funds for charities.
The match, Blackburn United Legends versus Dunipace and Fauldhouse United Legends, saw Andy’s former clubs and team-mates unite behind the cause.
One of the organiser behind the charity match, Martin Hubbocks, told the Courier it was a special day and said that the fundraising will continue.
He said: “Andy is a good friend and an old team-mate of mine and with permission from the family we set about getting a charity match to raise awareness.
“All of Andy’s old clubs, Dunipace, Fauldhouse United and Blackburn United, jumped at the chance and were really keen to get something arranged. It was meant to go ahead last year but due to covid it was delayed so it was great to finally get the game on.
“There was around 200 folk there and we raised around £2000 from the game alone, but the whole fundraising process is up to nearly £12,000.”
He added: “It was a special day and good to see so many old friends again all uniting around a really important cause.
“There’s talk of making it an annual thing but a lot of us are in our mid to late 40s now, so it might have to be walking football soon!”
If you would like to make a donation to Heidi’s Heroes, visit https://www. justgiving.com/fundraising/heidisheroes-sepsis2020.