Fundraisers club together to remember Stirling author and sports fan
Bridge of Allan Sports Club hosted a remembrance fundraiser event in honour of dedicated member Bert Mitchell, who sadly died of a stroke last April.
His wife Arlene and daughter Ava put on a day to celebrate their beloved Bert and to ensure his legacy lives on at his club.
The day boasted everything Mitchell enjoyed: sport, food and socialising.
Ava said: 'With excellent cuisine thanks to the Secret Chef, everyone was kept happy with the vast selection of food options.
'A thanks needs to go to Louise from Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland who said a couple of words on the day on the impact of strokes and how many people in the UK are affected.
'Approximately 100,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK.
'Stats like that put into perspective how important it is to raise money for causes like CHSS, to help ensure no-one is alone when going through a stroke.'
The first exhibition of the afternoon was tennis, featuring Jonny O' Mara [Andy Murray's coach for his last year on court] and some of Stirling University's best players: Scott MacAulay, Matthew Earnshaw and Robert Cawley.
Ava added: 'The match was a smashing success with people oohing and aahing at every shot.
'Everyone loved the raffle and it came to a point where tickets had to be created as they ran out.
'A huge thank you has to go to all the companies and brands who donated to us.
'These include: Whyler Photography, Adam Brown Tennis Academy, Paper Kisses, Malmaison, Hotel Du Vin, Game4Padel, Head Squash, Arran Sense of Scotland, Stirling Gin, Birds and the Bees and Graham's Dairy's, among others.
'The day was non-stop with a squash exhibition match starting at 5pm featuring John Meehan and Andrew Glen who are both Senior International players.
'This was a gripping match with both players dripping of sweat and it went to a fourth set.
'The level was high and points were long, with viewers turning their heads at each stroke.
'They certainly put on a good show.'
The day fittingly concluded at the squash courts with the unveiling of a memorial plaque in honour of Bert Mitchell.
It has been positioned between court 3 and 4.
Court four is memorable for being 'Bert's court' - the one he loved to play on and booked regularly.
Ava said: 'It felt right to conclude the day where my dad spent much of his time training on court.
' It was great to see so many people who knew my dad, supporting us on the day.
'I want to thank the local community for their help in advertising our event.
'A special thanks needs to go to Forrester Pyke, the local organist at Bridge of Allan Parish Church who put posters up in the church.
'It was great to have the support from so many.'
Arlene and Ava have so far raised nearly £1500 on Justgiving - with further funds raised on the day seeing the total so far sitting at around £3500.
The pair are hoping with further advertisement and encouragement they could get to £5000.
Arlene said: 'It was a great day and everyone was so generous - but we are still keen to keep pushing.
'We want to reach £5000 for the charity.
'Any donations would mean a lot to us.
'Even £10 could make a difference to someone struggling with a stroke just now.
'Please help us reach our target to a well deserving cause which is close to many of our hearts.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Daily Record
Southside Boxing Academy starlet enjoys 'Cinderella story' after becoming British champion
Fifteen-year-old Ava Allison is celebrating after coming back from injury to be crowned champion A Toryglen boxing coach says it's a real 'Cinderella story' as his daughter went from a career-threatening injury to becoming British champion in a year. Ava Allison, 15, tore her meniscus, and suffered cruciate and collateral ligament damage in a training accident. But at the end of May, Ava won the junior 60kg category at the GB Tri Nations Championships at the Sophia Gardens Stadium in Cardiff. That was Ava's first gold British medal, though she is three-time Scottish and Western District champion. Dad and coach Bryan at Southside Boxing Academy said: 'A year ago, Ava couldn't walk, was 82kg and didn't know when she was going to be able to walk again without pain, because she did everything possible to do to your knee. 'With that injury, if that happens to you or I, it usually means your career is done, you don't recover from that, but Ava had age on her side. It would have been easier to quit. 'A year later, she's lost 22kg and became British boxing champion. 'It was a freak injury, but that ruled her out for about two years. Rehab started a year ago on June 5, and this is where she is now, she has turned it around completely. 'In the boxing world, all your top-level boxers' parents are rich, own their gyms and all that, but Ava is from the council estate, a real Cinderella story. 'For every wee boy or girl who is told 'you can't do that' or 'you're not good enough', this proves that if she can do it, they can do it.' The King's Park Secondary School pupil has been working hard, and Bryan said: 'Ava beat the Welsh champion in her own back yard, unanimously, then beat an unbeaten English champion, who had stopped her six previous opponents. 'She's been doing it since she was seven years old. She's really dedicated, training six times a week, and what it makes it more remarkable is that Ava has done her National 5 exams and done seven of them.' Bryan hopes for further success in the near future, and said: 'We'll be travelling to the Hull Box Club at the end of the month and in her group is the Czechia champion. 'The European Championships is next month in Serbia, from July 15 to 25, and I would like to think she would get selected, but they forgot about Ava. 'Because of her injury she hadn't boxed for Scotland in nearly two years, and she went down there and absolutely knocked it out the park.' Big things are afoot for the club, too, with a move to a larger site. Bryan said: 'We're moving to the Geoff Shaw centre, which is a bigger premise. We're effectively training out of a big room, and we've produced a British champion every year for the last five years – imagine what we could achieve with an actual facility!' Southside Boxing Academy's Zain Iqbal won silver, losing out in his final to Welsh champion Shane McIntyre.
Glasgow Times
10-06-2025
- Glasgow Times
World's largest walking football tournament held in Glasgow
More than 900 players from 92 teams took part in the Walking Football Scottish Cup and Festival on Saturday, June 7, held at Glasgow Green Football Centre. The event, organized by Walking Football Scotland and sponsored by Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS), brought together participants from across the country to compete in multiple categories. It attracted high-profile visitors, including former Scotland manager Craig Levein and ex-players Peter Grant, David Hopkin, and Dougie Imrie. Read more: Gala day featuring football match with Still Game star to take place in Glasgow MSP Maree Todd, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, was also in attendance. Gary Brewer, director of people and culture at CHSS, said: "It was amazing to see so many people come together and, once again, celebrate the Walking Football Scottish Cup and mark the world's largest one-day walking football event." The tournament is part of a two-year partnership between CHSS and Walking Football Scotland aimed at improving health outcomes for people over 50. Figures from Public Health Scotland have revealed that nearly 11,000 people in Scotland had a stroke last year. This remains one of Scotland's main causes of long-term disability. In addition, coronary heart disease remains Scotland's biggest killer, with 300,000 people in the country living with the condition. Activities, such as walking football, are designed to help people improve their physical activity and maintain a healthy heart. Walking football provides a gentler alternative to traditional football, helping participants stay active while reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Gary said: 'Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is committed to supporting the one in five people across the country with our conditions. "One of the best ways we can do this is by improving health outcomes for people across Scotland and playing walking football is a great way of contributing to reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. "Walking Football Scotland can reach a vast number of players, and we have been able to offer support to clubs, players and their families. "It's great to see the popularity of the sport continuing to rise and we hope our partnership with Walking Football Scotland continues to grow from strength to strength as well." Read more: Billy Connolly, football and love: Book reveals what matters to Glaswegians Kenny McLean, president of Walking Football Scotland, said: "Walking Football Scotland continues to lead the way, not just in participation but in impact. "Breaking records and building communities — that's what this game is all about, and I couldn't be prouder of what we're achieving together. "This is our showcase event – a celebration of everything walking football represents. "But the real heart of the game lies in the hundreds who play week in, week out across Scotland. "A huge thank you to everyone who makes this movement so special." Winners on the day included Braehead FC in both the over-40s and over-50s women's categories, Saint Anthony's in the over-50s, and Pollok Utd in the over-60s and over-65s. Alloa Athletic took home the over-70s title, Glasgow Life won in the Parkinson's category, while the Universal Wanderers took home the Peter Collins Fair Play award.
Rhyl Journal
04-06-2025
- Rhyl Journal
Charity netball tournament inspired by Kinmel Bay woman's cancer news
Rebecca Quayle, a 40-year-old mother-of-three from Kinmel Bay, was told she has secondary breast cancer 12 months ago. On June 28 from 1.30-4pm, her sister, Jen, will take part in a 'men vs women' charity netball competition at Holywell Leisure Centre. in aid of Make 2nds Count, which supports secondary breast cancer patients. Secondary breast cancer occurs when breast cancer cells spread from the breast to other parts of the body. After teaching at Rhyl High School for 17 years, Rebecca gave up her job following her diagnosis. She co-hosts a podcast, It's All Gone T*** Up, with fellow secondary breast cancer patient Danielle Robinson, who is an ambassador for Make 2nds Count, and who runs the Tea & Chat group in Rhyl for patients like her. Rebecca said: 'Every year, they (Jen's netball team) do a netball match for a charity close to their hearts. It made me really emotional (that Make 2nds Count was chosen this year). 'My sister is my rock. She ran a marathon for Breast Cancer Now previously and raised £5,000. I was nearly in tears when I heard; I just thought it was so lovely. 'Danielle's Tea & Chat group has been a real lifesaver. We can speak to people going through the same thing, so it's an irreplaceable, brilliant support network. 'It's tough, but we get up and keep going for our children.' A JustGiving page for the event has also been set up – donations can be made by visiting: An estimated 61,000 men and women in the UK are living with this incurable disease - with an estimated 1,000 lives lost each month - and symptoms can vary from person to person. Jen wrote on the JustGiving page: 'Bec has faced treatment after treatment, and setback after setback, with an insane amount of positivity. 'As her little sister, who feels a little helpless and regrets not becoming a doctor, I want to raise money for the incredible Make 2nds Count, who are dedicated to funding research into secondary breast cancer. 'My amazing netball team is going to hold and compete in a tournament against other teams and husbands to raise money for this incredible charity. 'So, if you can, please donate, and if you're free on June 28, come to Holywell Leisure Centre to watch what I'm sure will be a very interesting tournament!'
