In memory of Colin Annals

Big hearted football club boosts appeal

Players and supporters of Windlesham Football Club have handed over a cheque for £1,100 to boost an appeal for funds to equip their local hospital’s new heart attack centre.

The club had organised a charity football day in memory of their manager Colin (Ginger) Annals to raise money for his favourite charity, Frimley Park Hospital’s Heart 2 Heart Appeal.

Colin died on New Year’s Day 2011. Former club player and Windlesham Club and Theatre Manager Bob Pope said: “Colin was a remarkable person; never phased by anything, kind, caring and a friend to everyone he met throughout his life – in excess of 500 people attending his funeral said it all.”

Many local teams took part in the charity football event back in August which proved to be a very emotional and memorable day. Presentations and a fundraising raffle were held afterwards at the Windlesham Club and Theatre, the venue for much ‘after-match’ socialising and de-briefs. The winners of the first Colin Annals Annual Event trophy were F C Bentons.

Pictured here is Windlesham FC secretary Derek Davis presenting their cheque to Frimley Park’s fundraising manager Sally McLaren. They are joined by many players from the club and supporters who gave up their time to help make the charity day so successful.

Bob added: “Special thanks must be given to Derek Davis, John Goulter and Tommy Lee, without whom this event could not have taken place.”

While Colin spent a lot of his time in Windlesham, he was also a very well respected man in his home village of Lightwater. Jason and Kerri Bell of the Red Lion Public House in Lightwater have installed a bench there in his memory.

The Heart 2 Heart Appeal is raising money to equip the new regional heart attack centre at Frimley Park Hospital. Work is underway on a new £3.3 million building to house the centre and the appeal aims to cover the cost of equipment, in particular the most essential item called a c-arm which gives doctors a real-time x-ray view of the heart while they carry out a procedure to re-open blocked arteries that cause a heart attack. The procedure, primary angioplasty, saves almost twice as many lives as previous treatments.

The appeal is in its final stages with about £50,000 more to raise by Christmas.

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