A SAVVY young football team rallied their friends and family to raise hundreds of pounds for a foundation through organising their own fun run.

Eight and nine-year-olds from the Bergholt Health Youth Football Club run a 1.5km track around the village raising £1,100 for the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation.

In a touching tribute to the charity founded in Tom's name, the club made the charity its shirt sponsor for the football season.

The team usually asks a sponsor to pay for the privilege of being on their shirt, which is changed every two years, but the club invited the foundation to be its 2022/23 sponsor for free.

Chris James is the manager of Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club.

Chris said: “Seeing the kids play week in week out in a shirt with the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation’s name is quite poignant, especially as Tom used to play for the team himself."

Nikki Bowdidge, chief executive officer and founder of the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation, which is based in West Bergholt, said: “We are always blown away by the amazing support we receive.

"It takes a special group of people who are so young to think of others and raise money for them.

“Bergholt Heath Youth Football Club should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved. We can’t thank the team enough.”

To donate, visit bit.ly/3VlcCmh.