Well done Helston!

[Guest]

I noticed this posting on the SWPL forum and thought that anyone who hasn't seen it could see a nice touch from all at Helston Athletic. When money seems to be the only important thing in 'the beautiful game', it's nice that sometimes there's more important things.  :thumbsup:

 

Story from this weeks “West Briton” Newspaper:

 

A KEEN birdwatcher who has terminal cancer has presented a painting of his beloved Cornish choughs to thank Helston Football Club.

Keith Robinson, from Helston, has prostate cancer and took part in the Movember campaign last year, where men grow moustaches to raise money for charity throughout November. The irony was that Mr Robinson was undergoing treatment and had lost all his hair.

The football club had let him use the clubhouse for free and helped with his fundraising.

Mr Robinson said: “I wanted to give the club a little ‘thank you’ for its help – they did us proud.”

In total he raised £4,700, including £500 from his son Darren Robinson, who lives in Cardiff.

“I am really chuffed,” said Mr Robinson. “The money is still coming in. I had a donation just last week.

“Movember is a great campaign about raising awareness of prostate cancer and men’s health. It’s nice to be part of that and it goes to the fantastic cause.

“I’d like to thank the people of Helston, the businesses and everyone at the football club and [chairman] Paul Hendy. He’s a real gent.”

As a former Navy man, Mr Robinson also won Movember’s ‘top hero in uniform’ award.

Mr Robinson’s passion is the Cornish chough – the so-called ‘national bird’. A volunteer with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the National Trust, he gives talks on choughs to visitors at the Lizard’s most southerly point.

He said: “I am looking forward to getting back to the Lizard and talking to the holidaymakers.

“The return of the choughs is a fantastic story and they are now part of Cornwall.”

Mr Robinson was a warrant officer at RNAS Culdrose and worked on Sea King helicopters until he retired in 1995.

He said the Navy had originally toyed with the idea of giving Culdrose its ‘ship-name’ HMS Chough.

“They went instead for HMS Seahawk, of course,” he added. “There is no such bird as a seahawk, although there was an aeroplane.

“I’ve been amazed at donations that have come in from guys I worked with in the Navy 30 or 40 years ago. They are friends for life.”

Club chairman Mr Hendy said the painting of the choughs was now hanging in the entrance to the clubhouse.

He said an event at the club had helped raise nearly £1,000 for Mr Robinson’s appeal. Last year the club helped people who raised about £5,000 for various charities.