A SPECIAL celebration of sport will be held in Droitwich to remember Tom Jones who lost his life in September 2018 after falling into the River Severn in Worcester where he was studying at the university.
The Tom Jones ‘European Championship’ Football Festival will take place at Droitwich Spa Leisure Centre from 10am to 4pm on July 7. The competition will be held during this year’s Euros in Germany.
As well as celebrating the life of Tom, who was from Bromsgrove and attended South Bromsgrove High School, the event will raise vital funds for the West Mercia Search and Rescue (WMSAR).
Tom, who was 18 when he died, was an avid football fan and played for the Bromsgrove Sporting junior teams from the age of 12.
There will be competitions for boys under eights, under 10s and under 11s and girls aged under 10s, under 11s and under 12s and the organisers are still seeking teams to take part.
There will also be The Tom Jones Aquathon Challenge which tasks participants with swimming and running – distances range from a 25m swiim and 600m run for seven to eight year-olds to 150m swim and 4km run for 17-year-olds and above.
There will be medals for every player taking part in the football tournament and trophies for the division winners. There will be t-shirts and medals for Aquathon entrants and medals for the fastest finishers in each age category – from seven to eight years, up to the 17 to 39 and 40 plus.
Rugby Tots, which teaches rugby to two to seven-year-olds will also be showcasing what it does.
Tom’s mum Vicki Jones said: “We want children to enjoy sport from a young age like Tom did.
“Tom wanted to be a primary school teacher because he wanted to make a difference and it will be amazing to have a day where we can remember him and raise funds for a good cause.
“We need to ensure the WMSAR are available when people need their support.”
The idea for the event, which will also feature a family fun day, food, drink, live music, children’s rides, stalls and more, began when a new member joined WMSAR.
He had a background in fundraising and wanted to generate revenue for the group.
Vicki added: “The WMSAR are so important – they are all volunteers who drop everything and go to help when they are needed.”
And, if the inaugural day is a success, Vicki said she hoped the Tom Jones Football Festival would become an annual event.
Visit tjfestivalofsport.co.uk for more information on the event.
Teams wanting to take part in the football competitions can email [email protected] for further details.
