Sky Blues hand cheque for £1,000 to charity and club partner through the FA Community Sheild Fund
City charity Grace Research Fund, supported by Coventry City through the 2013/14 season, is £1,000 better off after receiving a cheque through the club.
Three special guests were on hand to pick up the donation on behalf of the Grace Research Fund, which was raised by programme and tickets sales at the FA Community Shield.
The Martin family, with their triplets Harriet, Evie and Caitlin, received the cheque from Coventry City’s development director Steve Waggott during half-time of the club’s recent fixture with Swindon.
The three sisters were born six weeks prematurely, spending time at University Hospital Coventry, and the Grace Research Fund provided the family with the indispensable support they needed during their difficult early weeks.
As the club’s nominated charity partner, the Grace Research Fund logo has adorned the front of the Sky Blues shirt this season, and they have taken part in projects and fundraising with the club over the past nine months.
The Grace Research Fund estimates that around £13,000 additional donations have been received thanks to the work with the Sky Blues, on top of the additional profile the charity has been given.
The money the charity raises is used to support much-needed medical research into the causes of premature births and the best forms of neonatal care, allowing them to enhance the well-being of babies and their families.
The research is conducted at University Hospital in Coventry, Warwick Hospital and Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital, as well as the two local universities.
Amy, the triplets’ mum, has seen first hand the essential support the Grace Research Fund provides and is keen to help raise the profile of a charity close to their hearts.
“Our triplets were born six weeks premature and they spent a total of four weeks in hospital, with two of those being at University Hospital Coventry,” Amy said.
“Obviously the charity is very close to our hearts. Grace were great with us, they did a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ work, things we weren’t aware that would happen. They were really supportive of us.
“We knew that the babies were going to be premature, so we were fortunate in the sense that we could be as prepared as possible. Other families won’t be so lucky – not everyone is – so the Grace Research Fund is a great cause to help prepare families and support them.
“We were fortunate that in our case our girls had a relatively smooth process, but we want to help raise the profile of the charity because it really is a great cause. Not everyone is fortunate to know circumstances before the birth, and we want to help raise money for the charity who do so much for these people.
“We’re originally from Stoke but our girls are now Coventry girls, so you never know they may be fans in the future!”
Another cheque of £1,000 was presented from the FA Community Shield fund on the same day to Sky Blues in the Community, which works across Coventry and Warwickshire on a range of community projects.
CAPTION: From L-R The Martin family: Paul, Caitlin, Amy, Evie and Harriet accepting the cheque on behalf of the Grace Research Fund from Coventry City Development Director Steve Waggott