Cardiff Met Archers’ Annual 24 Hour Match Raises Thousands For Charity

Following on from last year’s successful 24 hour Charity Basketball game which raised thousands for Prostrate Cancer UK and Crohn’s & Colitis UK, the Cardiff Met Archers have run their second 24 hour charity match and raised over £3,000 for this year’s chosen charities Arthritis UK and Dementia UK. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

More than 150 participants from Cardiff Met and the local community split themselves into two charity teams and battled it out at the Archers Arena, Cyncoed, over a gruelling 24 hours ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

​Two new charities were chosen for their personal relevance to two club members. Archers team member, Annureet Bajwa captained the Arthritis Research UK team and is an active campaigner and fundraiser for the charity. Annureet’s Mum was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 22 before Annureet was born and she has watched her Mum battle with pain throughout her life. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Annie Scanlon selected the second charity and captained the Dementia UK team –chosen because her Dad was diagnosed with dementia last year. She said the news had a massive impact on their family and day to day life. She was very pleased to have the opportunity to fundraise for Dementia UK with the Archers family and is passionate about making people aware of the incredible work the charity does. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The 24-hour event saw players divided into two teams to represent the selected charities. The match tipped off with the U12’s at midday last Saturday and finished with the under 10’s at 10am on Sunday. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

After 22 hours of solid basketball, all previous players were invited to take part in the final two hours of play. The final score when the countdown clock hit zero was Team Arthritis UK 1916 – Team Dementia UK 1769. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Congratulating the players on this second hugely successful charity event, Cardiff Met’s Director of Basketball, Lucy Witt, said: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“This 24 hour match was a hugely awe-inspiring event and we are delighted that the enthusiasm and passion of our members has driven this idea forward and enabled us to stage this together. Everybody involved was keen to support the work of two charities close to the hearts of two of our members. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“There is certainly a will to make this an annual event. Every single player should be enormously proud that the entire Archers family came together to raise more than £3,000 two very worthwhile causes.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​