KENDAL Cricket Club has donated £500 to Cancer Care and St Johns Hospice to help provide much needed funds during the coronavirus crisis.

Members of the Shap Road-based club were initially due to raise money for themselves after first team player Darren Nightingale decided to do a 100-team football card fundraiser.

The card, which had a prize fund of up to £1000, filled up quickly, and while £500 went to charity, the other half of the prize went to Natasha Nicholson who was the lucky winner after she selected the correct team.

Nightingale, who was due to play his first game for the club since re joining after a spell at Burneside, spoke of his delight in the football card:

“I initially wanted to raise money for the club, and decided to do a football card, however, I was unsure whether we would fill the card up,” he said.

“However, with the help of bar manager Angela Fiddler I was amazed and delighted when all 100 teams were bought in just over 24 hours.

“We are lucky that the club has such an incredibly supportive and generous membership and even though we along with all amateur sports clubs are not generating any income we felt as a club that we would donate our £500 equally to Cancer Care and St Johns Hospice.

“Everyone felt this was the right thing to do as these are more deserving causes and even though these are not huge amounts every penny counts and I would like to thank everyone who supported us”

Kendal are hoping to carry out further fundraising events, with the club due to do another football card in June.