Comedian Jasper Carrott helps Stratford Town FC with its new monthly charity fundraisers

COMEDIAN Jasper Carrott helped kick-off a new monthly fundraising initiative at Stratford Town Football Club at the weekend.

While the Bards took on a Birmingham City team, gaining a respectable 1-1 draw, off the field the support was for the Edward’s Trust charity.

Stratford Town chairman Jed McCrory explained: “Jasper has been involved with the Edward’s Trust for 35 years and he visited Stratford Town on Saturday afternoon to support the charity who had bucket collections throughout the afternoon.

“Jasper said that he has been supporting Birmingham City for 70 years and, coincidentally, his charity was involved on a day Stratford Town were playing his team. He went on to say that he has been privileged to meet many of the greats in football through the late Trevor Francis, who he counted as a close personal friend.

The Edward’s Trust provides service to support people through bereavement and loss – Jasper’s daughter, Lucy, is also involved in the charity.

Jed added: “Jasper also took the time to chat to a young Bards supporter Finn Temple-ton who recently finished fourth in the Scottish Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ Voice Box event for budding young comedians.

“He explained to Finn that to be a successful comedian you need to have the fear of failure. He said you need to die a few times to realise the pain and when you know the pain, you don’t want to die again so you make yourself really, really good!”

A total of £122.61 was raised for the Edward’s Trust. The next charity to be supported will be Escape Arts on 27th July when the Bards play a Coventry City XI.