G F T RAISE THOUSANDS FOR POORLY IONA WITH AUCTION DONATION

OVER £5,000 was raised for charity at a local rugby match thanks to a generous auction prize donation from G F Tomlinson.

The Frank O’Neill memorial match between the Derbyshire Gentleman and Chesterfield’s Tonka Tate’s Tourists took place at Derby RFC. The two teams, comprised of ex-Derby rugby players, regularly hold matches to raise money for good causes.

Funds from this match went to the Iona Turner Trust. Iona Turner, 13, suffers from cerebral palsy, epilepsy and hearing and visual impairments, and as a result requires round the clock care. The money raised from the match will go towards helping her family purchase a specially adapted vehicle to help get Iona out and about.

Frank O’Neill was a former player for the Derbyshire Gentlemen who sadly passed away last year. As a major benefactor to the Iona Turner Trust, the match was held to commemorate his life and raise money for the trust in his honour.

As part of an auction held on the day, G F Tomlinson donated two tickets to a Manchester United football match, which raised £3,000.

Andy Sewards, managing director at G F Tomlinson, said: “We are proud to have given back to our local community by supporting this match and raising money for such a deserving cause.

“We hope that the money raised will help Iona and her family as they continue to support and care for her.”

Bob Spall, chairman of the Iona Turner Trust, said: “Thanks to G F Tomlinson’s donation, we’ve raised an incredible amount of money for Iona.

“The funds raised will go a long way to getting Iona’s parents a specially adapted car which will be so important in making all their lives a little easier.”