Players from Bradley Stoke Town FC (BSTFC) will face a team of celebrities and ex-professionals in a charity match at the Jubilee Centre next Saturday (18th May).

Hosted by BSTFC and Ben Walker, the main event gets under way at 2.30pm and monies raised will benefit the local scout group.

There will be an ice cream van and a fast food van on site to cater for the spectators with ball boys/girls and collectors on hand from the scouts.

The bar will also be open throughout and after the match and there will be a raffle where the prizes include Bristol Rovers tickets and the signed match ball.

Players confirmed so far for The All Stars Pro XI are:

• John Rendell, ex Cardiff City
• Paul Burling, performer (Britain’s Got Talent)
• Ben Walker, councillor; ex Southmead Athletic
• Philip Mills, Stoke Lane FC and Greyfriars FC
• Joe Love, Manor Farm FC
• Joe White, Bristol Rovers apprentice
• Steve White, ex Bristol Rovers, Hereford, Luton, Swindon and Cardiff
• Ben Walker, ex Bristol Rovers, Yate, Brislington and Winterbourne

The main game will be preceded by a Bradley Stoke Youth FC U7s match (1pm start).

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We caught up with marathon runner, Tony Hardy, this week to find out about his experience at the London Marathon. Last year he completed the marathon for the first time, and this year he’s taken on the extra challenge of signing up for both the London and Berlin marathons. All of Tony’s efforts are going towards raising money for Mind, a charity that deals with mental health issues – something that Tony believes in strongly due to his own personal battle against depression.

This year, Tony faced a few unanticipated challenges in the few weeks preceding the marathon. Last time I spoke to him, his training had been progressing well. A month before the marathon date, however, Tony had a hamstring and ankle injury. With the support of physiotherapists at the Willow Brook Clinic, Tony felt that he had recovered completely. He said he was extremely grateful to James and Hannah at the Clinic, because “they fixed everything’ and ‘got me to the start line”.

Tony recalls that he was “absolutely fine until mile 11″. It was at 8 miles that he saw a group of Mind supporters which gave him a fantastic boost. The group had met up before the race, and the CEO of the organisation, Paul Farmer, was there during the reception later on to acknowledge all the runners who were fundraising for Mind. With the added boost from the Mind supporters during the marathon, as well as the amazing feeling of treading on Tower Bridge, Tony continued strong until mile 11, but after mile 13 he found he could only walk. He kept going until mile 19, after which he couldn’t continue walking.

Tony said there was the same sense of camaraderie and euphoria in participating as there had been last year, and he is determined to come back fitter and stronger for the Berlin Marathon in a few months’ time. He said he is also planning some “fundraising events in Bradley Stoke over the summer”.

Tony’s fundraising page is at www.virginmoneygiving.com/TonyHardy if you would like to donate. If you would like to know more about Tony’s charity, Mind, you can visit www.mind.org.uk.

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Tony Hardy is a Systems Engineering Consultant who has lived in Bradley Stoke since 2006. Last year he ran the London Marathon for the first time, raising £3,000 for Mind. This year, he is running twice the distance. He’ll be running his second London Marathon on 21st April and then the Berlin Marathon on 29th September. Each marathon is 26.2 miles, which makes more than 52 miles in total. As Tony will be turning 50 this year, he has named his fundraising page ’52 at 50’.

Following a 16-week training programme this year, Tony says he feels ‘in the zone’ but admits that he wasn’t always so fit. He started running as a hobby five years ago, and found it helped him immensely as a complimentary therapy towards dealing with depression. He said that ‘we’re lucky in this area’ because we have a community mental health team, but some areas have no mental health provisions. Battling with depression made Tony realise the value of organisations such as Mind, the charity he is fundraising for. Mind not only helps people directly through phone lines, it also does a lot of campaigning to raise awareness about mental health.

Last year’s experience of finishing the marathon left Tony emotional: he said, ‘It was such a great sense of achievement, I actually burst into tears.’ Admittedly it also ‘hurt a lot’ but Tony feels he’s even fitter this year because he is building on previous training (Tony’s time last year was 5:03:19). He says the inspiration for doing the first marathon came from seeing one of his friends doing it, which made him think, ‘If he can do it, so can I’. For this year, he says, ‘I want to prove that I can do it at 50 … and raise even more money in the process.’

Visit Tony’s fundraising page: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TonyHardy

A local charity is appealing for supporters to abseil Avon Gorge and raise money to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

The abseil, on Saturday 11th May, will see 50 people taking on this 90 foot cliff face, each raising money to support the West of England MS Therapy Centre in Bradley Stoke.

You’ll need nerves of steel as you lean backwards over the cliff edge, trusting your life to a rope no thicker than your thumb. But you’ll be rewarded with stunning views and a great feeling of success as you get to the bottom, knowing you’ve really made a difference to the lives of people living with MS.

The abseil will support people like Annette who comes to the centre each week for oxygen treatment. Thanks to this, she is able to continue in full time work.

“The oxygen helps much of the fatigue and achiness – it also lifts the spirits! The centre has become a part of my life I value very much.”

It costs just £10 to take part, and people are asked to raise £120 or more, which is enough to fund an oxygen treatment session for up to seven people. Oxygen treatment helps to reduce the extreme fatigue caused by Multiple Sclerosis, as well as counter eye-sight problems, and help to improve memory. It is one of the most popular therapies at the centre.

More: Find out how to register for the charity abseil »

Bristol Aztec Rotary Club is gearing up for two major charity events in the coming months. Firstly there is the popular Swimathon from which 40% of the money raised goes to support Rotary Charities and 60% to nominated good causes of the swimmers’ choosing.

The Swimathon takes place at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre’s swimming pool on Saturday 9th March from 7pm until 9pm. In this event, teams of up to six members take place in a sponsored swim, for one hour, and they are usually sponsored for each length they complete. The club already has a number of children’s teams taking part, but there is space for more, so how about it you adults? Perhaps it could also be a part of your springtime fitness regime, and raise money for a cause dear to your heart at the same time? For sponsorship forms please contact Peter Randall on 01454 610777.

The other exciting event of note will be the Charity Golf Day, which will take place at The Bristol Golf Club from 9am on Wednesday 15th May and teams of four are invited to take part in what should be an enjoyable day. You don’t have to be a brilliant golfer to participate and ladies as well as men are invited to take part. The cost for an individual is £60 (£180 for the team), and includes a cup of tea and a bacon roll followed by 18 holes of golf, other competitions and a two course meal. There will be many interesting items in a raffle, and a silent auction. For entry forms please contact Karen Holley of 6, Factory Road, Winterbourne, Bristol, BS36 1QN or register online at: www.charitygiving.co.uk/aztecgolfday2013.

Photo: Members of the Rotary Club of Aztec West stage pictured at their recent ‘awareness day’ event at the Willow Brook Centre.

Charities being supported by Bristol Aztec Rotary this year will include The Bradley Stoke MS Centre and St Peter’s Hospice.