Comedian Tez Ilyas will lead a star-studded line-up in a charity football match organised by a Blackburn teenager.
Blackburn Rovers announcer Lewis Costello and musician Jacob Reddy will also take part in the match, organised by 18-year-old Ellis Wignall.
The teenager, who organised his first charity football match for Derian House when he was just 16, has so far raised a massive £7,600 for the charity, which looks after children with life-limiting illnesses from all across the North West.
This year’s match will take place at Darwen Football Club’s ground, The Anchor, on Sunday, 20 July.
And Ellis hopes that this, his fourth charity match, will raise enough money to take his fundraising total to £10,000.
Ellis recently received a ‘Highly Commended’ award at the Young Citizen of the Year Awards for his fundraising efforts for the charity. The ceremony took place at Lancashire Police Headquarters last week (25 February).
Ellis is currently studying Health and Social Care at Blackburn College, with hopes to one day become a Derian House nurse.
“I was shocked when I found out I’d been nominated and shortlisted for the award,” said Ellis, who attended the ceremony with mum Tracy Wignall and stepdad Danny Shorrock.
“The charity matches mean a lot to me. I didn’t know what to expect at all at the awards. It was really nice to hear all the good stories. I even bumped into a Derian grandparent – Carol – and we got talking about Derian and how it has helped their family. It was great to hear how much Derian means to them and I think it really shines a light on why the charity matches are a thing – they are there to raise money for families just like theirs.”
Ellis organised his first charity football match in 2022 and raised more than £2,000 for the charity. He has since raised £7,600 for Derian House.
“I am over the moon to announce that the charity match is back – bigger and a lot better,” continued Ellis.
“This year we are playing at our biggest venue to date. We’re all hoping to break over the £10,000 mark raised since our first game in 2022 – as much as possible for the children and families of Derian House.
“We’ve got about 100 players involved across all three games. And then more people helping out behind the scenes. The bar and café will be open all day, and dogs will be allowed into the stadium too. I hope to see you there for what will be a brilliant day for everyone involved in the game!”
Kerry Salmon, Community Fundraiser at Derian House, said: “Ellis is an incredible young person – a true inspiration. He does an fantastic job pulling together the football matches, and has already raised an amazing amount of money that will mean the world to our families. We wish him all the luck in the world in his hopes to become a nurse.
“It will cost us £6million to run services at Derian House in 2025, so we rely heavily on the generosity of our supporters – just like Ellis – to keep our doors open.”
Derian House, based in Chorley, Lancashire, cares for more than 400 seriously ill babies, children, young people and their families from across the North West helping them to make the most of every moment.
