Source: The Evening Telegraph

Happy chairman Darragh MacAnthony has reviewed the 2011/12 Peterborough United season for the Evening Telegraph:

“If someone had said to me last Summer that Posh would…

- Be in the top seven goalscorers in The Championship

- Finish above Nottingham Forest

- Hit 50 points

- Sell a player in a package worth £5 million

- Play a proper and envied style of football on the floor

- Beat three of the top six sides convincingly

- Score seven goals in one game

- Have two 16-year-olds force their way into the first team squad

- Not cause one row between the gaffer and myself all season

- Spend £1.1 million on one player

- Never be involved in a relegation battle over the 46 games

“…I would have said I am neither shocked nor surprised in all fairness!

Posh Chairman Darragh MacAnthony

“I had a pretty strong gut instinct last July out in Portugal of things to come. After seeing the first two days training sessions I called Barry Fry, who hadn’t arrived yet, and said to him: ‘You wouldn’t believe the football our lads are playing out here Baz’.

“I was taken aback at how well everybody was gelling and how confident the camp was, never mind the strong bond and team spirit on display every day.

“Truth be told it wasn’t the best summer ever for player recruitment with many targets going by the wayside over financial terms, but the players we did bring in were gelling well with the current squad and were great lads to have on board.

“The real moment I felt we would hit 50 points and compete well in the Championship came at half-time against Palace in our first game of the campaign.

“We were one down, but I was so impressed with how we applied ourselves and the standard of football we were playing that I just knew the season was going to go to plan.

“It wasn’t to be a typical season like previous ones in my short spell as owner at the club with either a promotion or a disaster, it was in my eyes a season of education for all of us.

“The season has educated us to the standard of the Championship, the need for a strong, healthy, fit squad, the need for multiple formations for different styles of teams, for mixing our own style of play up at times, for being psychically stronger and most importantly sticking together when good and bad.

“The Championship is, outside of the Premier League, one of the toughest leagues in Europe but at the same time it’s also the type of league where anybody can beat anybody on any given day.

“As a club we got so many things right, but we will learn about the few things we got wrong on and off the field.

“Hopefully this incredible experience this year will make us stronger, allow us to build and to come back next year and achieve more then we accomplished this season.

“There is so much to be excited about for our fans and indeed for me as Chairman of the club.

“Our youth department is getting stronger every season and with the investment being made on our training facilities this season and in the seasons to come, our club, with good prudent management, will, we all hope, become a strong competitive presence in the Championship with no debts and a very talented, young playing squad.

“With financial fair play coming into play in the very near future, the playing field will become a lot more level and with our model well implanted already over the last few years, this should enable us to really kick on and become a football club we can all be proud of.

“The season has been a pleasure and thanks to the gaffer, his staff and players, not to mention our fans, we can all look forward to more exciting Championship football next year and hopefully for many years to come.

“One last thing from me. My favourite moment of the season was the performance against an incredibly in-form Reading side when we went one down but beat them.

“That 3-1 win was all anybody needed to know about the potential at our club. It wasn’t a fluke or a lucky win, it was a group of young players performing to their potential against the form team in the country, and as it turned out the eventual Championship champions.

“It’s performances like that which keeps me going every day in my quest to help improve our wonderful football club.”

Source: Peterborough Today

The Evening Telegraph understands Posh have paid £1.1 million to League Two side Crawley for a 26 year-old striker with 38 goals in an 18-month Football League career to his name. There are also over £300,000 in sell-ons and add-ons attached to the deal.

Barnett has joined Posh on an emergency loan until the end of the season when he will sign a four-year contract. He will make his debut in Saturday’s Championship clash at Doncaster.

Barnett’s arrival ends a month-long pursuit of the player. It was reported that Posh had a joint bid of £1.9 million for Barnett and Crawley defender Kyle McFadzean turned down during the January transer window.

Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony took a financial plunge after listening to manager Darren Ferguson rave about the player.

MacAnthony said: “The gaffer called me last week after seeing this lad for the umpteenth time and said ‘wow, power, pace, goals, aerial colossus, we have to sign him.

“We have smashed our transfer record and signed one of most sought-after strikers outside the Championship. We also beat six tasty Championship clubs to this deal.”

The previous highest transfer fee paid by Posh was £500,000 to Grimsby Town for central defender Ryan Bennett, but he eventually cost the club more than a million pounds when add-ons and a sell-on fee following his recent move to Norwich City were taken into account.

Barnett failed to agree personal terms after Championship rivals Blackpool set up a £1.4 million transfer last month, He’s scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for Crawley so far this season.

Ferguson added: “We have been after Tyrone for a while now so I’m delighted we have signed him. He gives us something totally different to what we have already got.

“We have had several good reports on him and I went to watch him recently, but left at half-time because I could already see how good he was.

“He scores all sorts of goals. He is technically very good, has decent pace and he is one of the best strikers in the air that I have seen for a while.

“He is a good age, has a good background and we are thrilled to have him on board. Fair play to the chairman for pulling out all the stops to get him.”

Posh have paid a record fee for a League Two player. The previous highest was the £800,000 that Bournemouth paid to Crawley for striker Matthew Tubbs last month.

Big factor was the chance to play for Darren Ferguson

TYRONE Barnett is confident he can bring his Crawley Town form into the Championship.

The 26 year-old striker has jumped from non-league football to the second tier of English football inside 18 months, but he believes Posh boss Darren Ferguson will help him improve further.

Barnett was a striker at Hednesford Town in the Southern Premier League two seasons ago before moving into the Football League with Macclesfield and Crawley.

Barnett said: “I’ve had a good season at Crawley and I hope it carries on here. I have confidence in my ability and I can’t wait to get started in the Championship.

“A big factor for me was playing for Darren Ferguson. I have met him a few times and it’s obvious that he wants to play football the right way and so do I.

“I’m always looking to improve my game and I’m at a club that will help me do that. I’m excited about the challenge ahead.

“I know Peterborough had a bid rejected for me in January which was disappointing, but I didn’t let if affect me and now I’m glad that the move has happened.”

Hi Darragh,

What can I say THANK-YOU seems insufficient somehow!!

The kids and staff thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you today, and for you to give us 1.5hrs of your time and the offer you gave to the winning team was truly much more than I or Jon could have wished for.

You truly are a gentleman as well as the savior of our beloved club!!

I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the experience as much as we did!!

Hopefully this is only the start of our school and your association (further strengthening our links with Posh) and we can build upon this excellent start in the future.

Kind Regards

Jim

Response from Darragh:

Hello Mr. MacAnthony,

Thank you so much for the ipad. You have no idea how much it makes studying and school easier. I am not sure if my mom explained to you that I have a learning disability, but I do. My disablity causes me to not be able to remember or graps what was said in class. With the ipad i can neatly save notes and recordings, but most importantly it takes away a lot of stress. With this gift my life has become just a little easier. Thank you for selecting me to recieve this priceless gift. I will put it to great use. Attached is a picture of me and the ipad. Happy Holidays!

Thank you,

Chris

Response from Darragh:

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the wonderful email and love the picture. Well done and make sure you put it to great use.

I am delighted it will make a difference to you.

All the best to you and your family and happy holidays buddy.

D

Source: Peterborough Today

WHEN the Helping Hands Group opened nearly a year ago, director Suzanne Gilby had no idea of how popular the education service for adults with learning disabilities would prove to be.

CARLY LEWTHWAITE went along to find out more.

BASED in a smart brick building along Padholme Road East, The Helping Hands Group is a great place to be.

Stepping inside the light, clean and airy building, it is clear to see from the decor what director Suzanne’s favourite colour is!

With a purple theme throughout, the centre has a homely feel to it, and the potential for their 15 current students is clear to see.

The spacious rooms have an array of modern facilities, from a gleaming kitchen through to computers, musical instruments and interactive whiteboards.

Referred to as a ‘breath of fresh air’ for the city, Helping Hands offer further education, personal development and day opportunities for adults with a wide range of disabilities, from autism, sensory impairment, brain injury and PMLD (profound and multiple learning disabilities) to Aspergers syndrome.

The service is paid for using a range of grants available to adults with learning disabilities. The service caters for everyone from the age of 18, with the oldest student currently 40 years old.

Suzanne explained that the popularity of Helping Hands has exceeded her expectations since the centre opened at a cost of £250,000, provided by Peterborough United and Helping Hands Group chairman Darragh MacAnthony.

Darragh jumped on board after speaking with Suzanne’s husband Neil, who works for the club as the man behind Poshlive! and PUTV.

Suzanne said: “We opened in January this year and the number of students we were hoping for has doubled.

“Our 15 students do a range of hours, some only come for one day a week, others for five days.

“It has gone really well and we are looking forward to another successful year.”

Students are assessed on an individual basis to ensure that their timetable suits their needs and abilities. This program is reviewed regularly and is followed by all staff members to ensure continuity.

The courses cover a range of activities, from education and independence skills through to work experience, arts, crafts, cooking, horticulture and IT.

Suzanne said: “We have a complimentary therapist who comes in to the centre and offers relaxing therapies such as head massage and aromatherapy.

“Students also have the use of our new hydrotherapy pool, which has just been installed.”

Complete with a changing area, professional hoist, lights and music, it really is a great addition to the centre.

Suzanne said: “The pool benefits the students in a number of ways. If they have limited movement, the water can relax their muscles and give the freedom of weightlessness that they don’t have when sitting in their wheelchair.

“It is also a sensory experience, with the warmth, light and music and has an all-round positive effect for everyone who uses it. Students who are mobile love it because a spa experience is not something that they would find easily accessible outside of the centre. Everyone loves it!”

I headed upstairs where a small group of students were having a quick break before embarking on a Wii dance session, one of the most popular activities on offer.

Kerrie Woods (19) was proudly showing off her beautiful pink nails and freshly styled hair, courtesy of an earlier beauty session.

Kerrie has been a student since August and said that her favourite activity at Helping Hands is playing dance games on the Wii.

Zoe Forbes (19) also had newly-painted nails, and was taking orders for hot drinks.

As one of the more independent students, Zoe said that she enjoyed making drinks for everyone and that she enjoyed sessions in the new hydrotherapy pool the most!

Zoe’s learning support assistant, Gemma Stent was looking forward to her cup of tea and explained how much she enjoyed working with the students.

She said: “I absolutely love it, I love working here. I never have a day where I don’t want to come into work. I enjoy it so much that I don’t see it as a job. Seeing the progress the students make while they are here makes it all worthwhile.”

Mark Mowvley is a mentor to Ali Hussain (20). He explained what a difference the centre has had on Ali. “When Ali first came here he was really out of his comfort zone and was a little unsure. In just a few months he has learnt so much and is even starting to use the computer.”

Although Helping Hands has achieved a great deal in just a few short months, Suzanne is looking to progress even further.

The service currently runs five days week, but Suzanne has been piloting a few new ideas that she hopes to put into action.

She said: “We have been trialling a few weekend workshops and are looking to hold activities in the evening as well. This is as a result of feedback from parents who have said that their sons and daughters don’t have many options for things to do in the evening and over the weekend.

“We tried some drama workshops and they were really well received.”

Suzanne is also looking at providing outreach services, where staff will be able to visit students and their families in their own home, as well as providing a respite service for parents and carers.

She said: “The service is beneficial for both parties because it gives the young adult a chance to socialise and do things that might be difficult to provide for at home, as well as giving the carer a break.”

Despite the reams of paperwork and work behind the scenes, it is clear that Suzanne and her staff enjoy every moment of it.The success of Helping Hands has spread, with referrals already coming in for students wanting to join in the New Year.

Suzanne said: “If you asked me how much I enjoy my job out of ten, I would say ten million!

“I have worked in this area for 23 years and I just love it. The look on the students’ faces when they are here, enjoying everything and learning to live a more fulfilled life puts everything into perspective.

“It isn’t just a job, we live the dream.”

To find out more you can contact The Helping Hands Group on 01733 561000, email info@thehelpinghandsgroup.org.uk or visit the website www.thehelpinghandsgroup.org.uk

Further to Martin’s email below, you can show your support for the charity SANDS by clicking the image below.

Hi Darragh

I’ve been a Posh fan for nearly 25 years and a season ticket holder for many of those.

We tragically lost our baby daughter, Mia, who was stillborn on 3rd September 2011. Mia was 8 days overdue following a normal low-risk healthy pregnancy. We’d heard Mia’s little heartbeat just a few hours before labour started and suspected nothing as we travelled to hospital, expecting to bring home our first child.

I’d hoped to bring Mia along to games at London Road once she was old enough.  It’s an amazing time to be a Posh fan.

We had a meeting at the hospital last Thursday to discuss the results of Mia’s post-mortem. The results showed that Mia’s placenta had a rare defect called 92,XXXX. It had double the amount of chromosomes that it should have which caused it to degrade 5 or 6 weeks before Mia was born. Because the placenta couldn’t function properly at that stage, Mia stopped growing at the rate normally expected, meaning that she was not big enough or strong enough to cope with labour. The consultant told us that had the lack of growth towards the end of the pregnancy been picked up as it could have, my wife would have been sent for a scan with the result being that Mia would have been delivered by planned cesarean section a week or two before due date. We were told that had this have happened, Mia would have been alive today. Not an easy thing to hear.

However, our tragic story is only one of thousands in the UK every year. Did you know that 17 babies are stillborn or die shortly after birth every day in the UK?

We’ve set up a JustGiving page so that we can raise money for SANDS www.justgiving.com/Mia-Patel-Thorpe as we are really keen to support this charity and help to avoid other parents from going through the same experience.

Really grateful if you could take a look and if possible for PUFC to make a small donation. Or could something be put into the programme or a collection at the ground? As you are probably aware, Doncaster Rover’s striker Billy Sharp recently lost his son through similar circumstances.

Please let me know if you need to know anything else.

Best regards and Up the Posh!

Martin Thorpe

Response from Darragh:

Hi Martin,

After reading your email, my heart goes out to you and your wife for this horrific tragedy and the loss of baby Mia. I have CC’d Bob from our club in on this email so he can 100% put something in our next home programme about this tragedy and the cause mentioned. We will ensure it goes on my own website so people know about it.

I wish you and your family all the best in what must be a terribly tough time for you all.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Take care

D

Source: Peterborough Today

The Posh chairman reckons the club’s low-key approach to the campaign is paying off. Posh are currently 10th in the Championship table, just two points off a play-off place.

MacAnthony said: “The fact that we were so disappointed in not at least drawing with ‘mighty’ Leeds shows how far we have come.

“In fact the manager told me after Saturday’s game that he wouldn’t swap one Leeds player for one of his own.

“We might be a small club at this level, but we are not a small team. We have players who put ambition over greed.

“The aim of our players is not to be driving Lamborghinis and Ferraris around, it’s to improve as players.

“They are very level-headed, we have no big-time Charlies and we don’t have one bad egg in the squad which is unusual, but we are very positive and confident.

“Championship teams have started to come to London Road and match the way we play. Leeds did it on Saturday and said it was because they were afraid they wouldn’t be able to cope with us in midfield and that’s a great compliment to us.

Darragh MacAnthony at London Road

“It’s still early days and there will be disappointments. There will be good days and bad days, but I’m very happy so far.

“If you win half the games and lose half the games in the Championship then you do okay. We’re taking the season in batches of 10 and we have won two out of three in the second batch.

“I wasn’t one of those talking about going second on Saturday. I’m interested in reaching 50 points and then re-assessing our situation and kicking on.

“We have been very respectful of the Championship this time. No-one wants to write about us anyway, but we have stayed out of the headlines, while fighting tooth and nail to stay at this level.

“It’s a great level to play at. The Premier League is the most exciting league, but the Championship is the hardest.

“The game against Cardiff summed up what we have been about in my time at the club.

“We were ahead then we looked like losing as we were behind with three minutes to go, but then the lads storm forward and win the game.

“That’s what we are all about.”

…but referees leave him fuming

DARRAGH MacAnthony wants referees to experience the ups and downs of promotion and relegation.

The Posh chairman took to Twitter again to express his disappointment with the officiating during his side’s 3-2 defeat by Leeds at London Road on Saturday.

As a result he could well face his second FA fine of a season just 13 matches old, but while MacAnthony will probably pay for his mistakes, he believes referees should as well.

MacAnthony, in an interview with BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, said: “We have an elite group of referees in the Premier League so why can’t we have the same in the Championship?

“At the end of the season they could get promoted or relegated depending on how well they did. We all make mistakes in football and we all have to answer for them, but there appears to be no recourse for officials.

“The Championship is already distorted from a financial point of view so a little bit of fairness on the pitch wouldn’t go amiss. I still see a small club syndrome in evidence and anyone who has seen the recent games against Doncaster, Cardiff and Leeds will understand my frustrations.

“There are assessors watching games and I often wonder what they must be thinking.

“Darren Ferguson came and sat on the sofa in my office after the Leeds match and I had to practically resuscitate him. He was flattened by the defeat and the manner of it.

“He didn’t want to talk to the media because he knows he wouldn’t be able to tell the truth.

“I really felt for him as we’d pulled off a great comeback, time was up, it was never a free-kick and Leeds score a winning goal.

“Obviously I have to be careful because I keep getting hammered, but what am I supposed to do as an owner? Bite my lip and say nothing when I see injustices?

“In future I will go on Twitter and start everything with ‘my wife says’ and then I can’t get fined.

“I shouldn’t anyway because I see Twitter as me talking to my friends in private.

“Instead these institutions try to implement censorship and hand out fines.”

This week I’m privileged to welcome Peterborough Chairman and regular Tweeter Darragh MacAnthony (@DMAC102) to ‘On the Social’ and get his views on tweeting, rows with fans, blackmail, lawsuits and getting the truth out into the public domain.

You are one of only a handful of football club Chairman to use Twitter. Did you have any doubts as to whether it was a good idea?

I have never been a big fan of social media sites such as Facebook, MySpace or even Twitter. My wife loves that stuff as do many millions of people. It was actually an employee who insisted I give it a go. She thought that my honest & direct views would give people an idea who I was and that the nonsense written about me online wouldn’t be so easy to believe. I started using Twitter whilst away for 20 days in June with the family in the Bahamas. I didn’t think it would work and I was not sure if I would like it, but funnily enough after the first week or so I realized it’s not a bad way to communicate and quickly as well if something needed to be put across. I have always loved having contact with Posh fans, doing public forums, interviews and so forth but now Twitter has opened up ways to communicate even with away fans from other clubs. I love a bit of healthy football banter like the next guy and thus far it’s been good old fashioned fun so to speak. I am after all a football fan like everyone else but privileged and fortunate enough to be able to own a football club.

Do you feel forums, blogs and Twitter have influenced the ‘instant success’ culture we see at many clubs?

We live in an age where there is massive leniency of freedom of speech given to the internet, which isn’t always a good thing as recent things involving internet trolls have shown. Everybody is entitled to an opinion as long as they own it personally by using their name and of course its factual and not lies or nonsense. I definitely feel more and more managers and directors of clubs read forums to gauge public opinion as do the players and it’s not always a good thing for variety of obvious reasons. I have no doubt as time goes on that managers will lose their jobs due to pressure exerted from opinions and emotions built up by forums at football clubs and therein lies the danger and damage some could do. I also worry about young players reading sites and how that affects their confidence if they are slaughtered online everyday, as not everyone has a thick skin.

Many players and managers say they take no notice of forums or blogs yet I’ve noticed you have had a few heated Twitter conversations with Peterborough bloggers @OnTheGlebe. Is this a deliberate attempt to refute what you see as excess negativity or does your passion just get the better of you, leaving you unable to stay quiet?

Sometimes my passion does get the better of me and I can be to direct or impulsive in a response if I don’t like the trend or tone of a particular message. The Glebe guys do a good podcast most weeks but have a tendency to dig out same players every podcast and this I cannot agree with, so I will make my feelings known. As much as the supporters are allowed their opinions, I too am allowed mine and we won’t always agree. But as long as it’s healthy communicative banter then it’s all good. I am a big believer in positive mental attitude and keeping a positive environment around our club as it’s too easy to fall into a negative stupor as shown in past and that creates a worse situation.

What I enjoy following you is you seem determined to tell the truth and not let the press have their day. I remember a series of tweets in the summer about a player who you had on trial, and you were also very honest around transfer deadline day with regard players you may/may not be buying or selling. Do you feel this is a natural next step of communication for all clubs, and might it eventually reduce the insatiable volume of rumours and stories that spread so quickly in this era?

One of reasons I am enjoying Twitter is because I have the instant opportunity to answer back to any mistruths or false comments that are out there and yes, I used Twitter this summer to dispel some of them and give an accurate account of what’s going on. The BBC and Sky signed up to my Twitter feed and have used my comments for stories but at least it is 100% accurate and so definitely a way for future stories to be put to bed quickly and kill any rumours etc. Our press department at the club were getting a bit agitated with me for breaking news on Twitter first so I had to pull back a little. But fear not I shall continue to speak the truth when needed!

You also have your own website – www.darraghmacanthony.com – and have most notably used it to write an astonishing open letter concerning extortion, persecution and blackmail. This related specifically to contents of a lawyer’s blog which were eventually used in filing a lawsuit against you. Could this have happened in the same way without the advent of social media, and does it not put you off the whole thing and make you want to never look at any of it ever again?

I had to come out fighting for a change as there has been some disgusting stories written online in the media about me, which have no truth to them, but give me little chance to respond and blogs like these and others seem to be able to write or print whatever they like and when they want. Internet trolling is becoming a danger and there are little laws in place to stop them and already we are seeing high profile people targeted and even their children, and in some cases in the US suicides occur involving teenagers who have been bullied online by said internet trolls. I want laws brought in place so that criminal action can be taken and strict sentences given before it gets out of hand and to stop people being able to hide behind pseudonym names online or forums and blogs where the server is hosted overseas etc. and beyond reach or not been held accountable for their actions. I feel strongly about this and will push for change until it happens.

There are an increasing number of footballers on Twitter, not without controversy. Do you think they will still be allowed to tweet in the future?

I think clubs will take individual stances on this subject and go from there. From what I hear legally, it’s important to put this into players contracts if you want to ban them from using social media nowadays and even then it’s tough to impose. I think as long as they use it in right manner and liaise in healthy way with fans, its ok but it needs to be defined more.

Do you follow any footballers on Twitter, and if so, who is your favourite and why?

No, not at the moment. I follow a few celebs and footy sites but not massively interested in other players accounts at the moment.

Finally, a couple of questions on today’s match. Peterborough have surprised many by their start to the season – have you been surprised and how do you think the rest of the season will go?

I am not surprised or stunned as I kind of knew from the pre-season summer trip that our youngsters were showing encouraging signs and the style of football our Gaffer plays might just suit the championship. It’s a terribly unforgiving league but massively entertaining and one we need to work hard everyday to compete in and stay in, so Posh can keep moving forward. I am a big believer in you get what you deserve and am hoping our style and way of playing gives us many good years to come.

And finally, what do you think the result tonight will be?

I hate making predictions but have no doubt it will be a great game for sure and my only hope is that whoever plays the best and deserves the result, gets the result. My wife is a Bristol girl and I bought her folks a house in Bristol but I am hoping their loyalties stay with The Posh for today. All the best for season after today!

You can follow Darragh MacAnthony on Twitter by clicking here.

For the latest Posh news from Darragh, follow his personal tweets by clicking here.

Dear Mr Macanthony,

My name is Ben and I am 17 years old and a posh fan. I have been selected by a charity by the name of Project Trust to do gap year teaching English in Senegal. I am very excited by this prospect as, not only is it an opportunity to return fluent in another language (I am currently studying French at A level) but, more importantly, I will be going to somewhere completely different to where I live now and I will be experiencing an entirely new culture.

The reason I have contacted you is that in order to go on this trip, I must raise the rather daunting amount of £4850 and I would be delighted and grateful if you could donate a small amount of your money for this charitable cause. This will cover various things such as training and accommodation but I can assure that none of your money will enter neither my pocket nor the staff of Project Trust, as it is a charity. and I would be delighted if you could donate a small amount of your money for this charitable cause

I have mentioned the fact that I am a posh fan as I was wondering if it were possible if I could get any support from the club, not necessarily financially, but also in terms of raising awareness. Whilst I am emailing you, I thought it might be worth pointing out that I am a posh fan who actually lives in King’s Lynn, and a number of people in the area actually support the club. We do, however, feel slightly “left out” on occasion. I was just wondering whether the club were aware of this segment of supporters and if marketing around there more would help gate numbers. That is not supposed to be a criticism, merely an observation. I am, however, very proud of the current time the club is going through and believe I speak for all posh fans when I say I am very grateful for you have done and I know that one of the things I will miss more than anything (besides friends and family, of course) is standing on London Road Terrace watching the mighty posh.

If you would like more information on my year in Senegal, you may like to visit www.projecttrust.org.uk for information. I will also soon be able to send you a leaflet with all the information. If you wish to ask a short, informal question, we are friends on Facebook so you can email me.

Yours sincerely,

Ben

P.S. Up The Posh!

Response from Darragh:

Hi Ben,

Love the email and well done to you. Its a very admirable thing you are about to do and I wish you all the best of luck with it. To get the ball rolling I am happy to donate 10% of your below target amount, so 485. Send me details where you want the money sent and keep me updated on your travels.  I have cc’d the CEO of the club in on your comments about club and reaching out more to areas such as Kings Lynn..

All the best

I will also post your email on my website and tell people its a worthy cause to help raise these funds for you and I have donated towards it.

D