AN ELLESMERE walking football team has received a donation of £500 from an Oswestry-based charity.

Ellesmere Rangers received the money from the Charlotte Hartey Foundation on Friday, May 13, made during Mental Health Awareness week has taken place across the country.

For many members, the club has helped them deal with mental health problems.

David Carr said he was grateful to the foundation for the money it has donated.

He added: "It is great that foundations like this are prepared to support initiatives like our walking football. Obviously we could not play for a while and we were doing things on WhatsApp groups and setting each other tasks.

"We started playing outside on the Ellesmere Rangers pitch and now we have a group of 18.

"We do look forward to it and it has lead onto other things. Just generally making new friends."


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Fellow club member Rob McBride said he has suffered with mental health problems.

Rob said: "Mine are well documented and Dave being a farmer, you are working on your own."

David said people have suffered when approaching retirement or had children leaving home.

He said: "We have all had times when people are approaching retirement or had children leaving home. All these big changes can make you come quite lonely and isolated.

"I know when my daughter went off to university and my son went to work and left. You did so much together and now you felt on your own. This will help a lot."

Chairman of the Charlotte Hartey Foundation, Karl Hartey, said people coming together was good for mental health.

He said: "When we have all been locked in for some time, I think the coming together is good, especially for our mental health.

"It seemed like a really good cause to support."

The Charlotte Hartey Foundation was set up by Karl, in memory of his 16-year-old daughter Charlotte who died in 2009.

The foundation provides funding to local sports organisations for team funding and equipment.