Big sporting names to attend Echo reporter's mental health fundraiser
SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher and fellow Shrimpers legend Steve Tilson will both star in Chris Phillips' latest fundraiser tomorrow.
Chris - who is the Echo's long serving Blues reporter - will be playing a combination of racket sports for 10 consecutive hours at David Lloyd Southend this weekend to raise funds for the mental health charity Mind of the Student.
Advertisement
And Chris is looking forward to seeing a number of familiar faces throughout his latest challenge with TikTok stars Alexis LOS and Jack Wells.
'It's great that Kev and Tilly are coming along to take part and there could be some other well known people too taking part,' said Chris.
'It's going to be a tough challenge and now it's getting nearer I'm starting to worry if I might actually be able to do it.
'But getting through difficult times is what mental health is all about really so I guess it's quite fitting so I'll do whatever it takes to get to the end of the 10 hours.'
Chris will start the challenge playing badminton for two hours before he also plays pickleball, table-tennis, padel and tennis.
Advertisement
And the challenge is for a cause close to Chris' heart.
'I struggle an awful lot with my own mental health but that gives me extra motivation to fundraise and try to stop others feeling the same way,' said Chris.
'I've actually struggled a lot this week if I'm honest but the fundraiser has been a big motivating factor for me and I'll do whatever I can to make it a success.'
Chris is no stranger to fundraising having already made £157,000 for a combination of charities.
His latest challenge has already raised close to £11,000 including gift aid and that total could yet see Chris having to carry out a forfeit.
Advertisement
'If I get to £10,000 without gift aid I have to record my first ever TikTok dance and if I get to £15,000 then I have to dye my hair so it makes it a bit more interesting,' said Chris.
'I thought making myself look even more stupid might be a good way of persuading more people to sponsor me and I'm certain it has got me a few more donations.
'It's all for an amazing cause too as Mind of the Student do such incredible work to help youngsters with their mental health and I'm fundraising to help bring their work to Southend which would be massive for our area.'
Chris was keen to thank his main sponsors Genesis Risk Solutions alongside Get Set and c2c for their support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Man City's Club World Cup windfall could lead to further spending - but Liverpool shouldn't care
This summer's Club World Cup has, predictably, not been much of a hit in the UK. There is Premier League representation at the tournament in Chelsea and Manchester City, but truth be told, the tournament has failed to capture the imagination of supporters. The Premier League - won by Liverpool last season, by the way - and Champions League continue to be the two elite competitions for English clubs. Advertisement Perhaps fans are suffering from football fatigue, or perhaps it's because of the kickoff times, but whichever way you look at it — this has not been the tournament that Gianni Infantino was clearly hoping it would be. Even the manager of one of the best teams in the world, Pep Guardiola, admitted that the winner will likely be forgotten fairly quickly. READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand's Premier League prediction says everything about Arne Slot's Liverpool READ MORE: Liverpool chairman reveals how close Florian Wirtz transfer came to collapsing - 'There was a point' 'Well, now we're here, we want to do well. I don't know," Guardiola said when asked how invested he is in winning the Club World Cup. 'Maybe after two or three days at the end of the tournament it'll be forgotten.' Advertisement The tournament's main appeal, clearly, is the lucrative prize money on offer, with a total of $1 billion on offer. City has already made a whopping $51 million, comprised mainly of a substantial appearance fee, as well as $2 million for each group-stage win, over Wydad, Al Ain, and Juventus. Those wins secured City's place in the last 16 of the competition, and qualification for the last 16 was enough to secure another $7.5 million in prize money. If Guardiola's men go on to win the competition, the club will bank another $32.5 million, taking the club's winnings to more than $80 million. Advertisement That is all well and good from a financial perspective, but the tournament is far from ideal preparation for the 2025-26 Premier League season. City is coming off the back of its worst season in almost a decade, and storming around dodgy astroturf fields in sweltering heat is unlikely to get the players in prime shape to reclaim their crown from Liverpool. Meanwhile, Liverpool's players are deep into their summer vacations as Mohamed Salah and Co enjoy some rest and relaxation ahead of their title defense. Mohamed Salah doesn't seem too fussed about missing out on the Club World Cup -Credit:X/@MoSalah Liverpool's pre-season gets under way on July 7 — six weeks on from the title parade — and that means that City's players could still be in Club World Cup action when the Reds play their first pre-season game. Advertisement The semi-finals of the Club World Cup take place on July 8 and July 9, with the final kicking off at 8pm BST on July 13 — five hours after Liverpool faces Preston in its pre-season opener at Deepdale. So, regardless of the lucrative sums that City is pulling in, there is no chance that Liverpool would choose to swap positions with its biggest rival right now.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nottingham's official Robin Hood Tim Pollard dies aged 61 after 'short, brave' cancer battle
Tim Pollard, Nottingham's official Robin Hood, has died following a battle with cancer. Mr Pollard was aged 61 and was surrounded by his family when he passed away. A statement posted on his Facebook page revealed the beloved actor died following a "short, brave" battle with cancer. The tribute reads: "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news of Tim's passing. He left us peacefully, surrounded by his loving family. "Tim faced a short, brave battle with cancer. It was his heartfelt wish to keep his illness private, and he only allowed us to begin sharing this difficult news with a few close friends in recent weeks. READ MORE: Dramatic footage shows driver on wrong side of dual carriageway during Nottingham pursuit READ MORE: Nottingham's Lister Gate to get new big-name clothes shop in boost for struggling street "He truly valued his privacy, and we are striving to honour that now. "Tim was, as many of you know, our very own and only Robin Hood. He was loved by so many, not just here in Nottingham, but far beyond. His laughter, his spirit, and his incredible friendship touched countless lives. "We know Tim will be deeply missed by all who knew him. We will share details of how we will celebrate his life in due course." Mr Pollard had been the city's Robin Hood for more than three decades. He is survived by his daughter. His wife, Sally Pollard, who was the city's Maid Marian, also died of cancer in June 2017 aged only 39. Tributes started pouring in on Saturday, June 28. Ray Blockley said: "Very, very sad to hear of the passing of Tim Pollard this morning. A regular at the Nottingham Robin Hood Beer & Cider Festival, who many folk will know from his Robin Hood persona, as well as his promotion and support of all things Nottingham and local. "Thoughts are with his daughter and family at this sad time. If you can, raise a glass in his memory today." Tim Freer added: "I've heard the terribly sad news this morning of the passing of Tim Pollard, our very own and much loved Robin Hood - all of us that knew him are devastated. My thoughts go out to his family, we're going to miss him so much."
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Unfortunately…' – Enzo Maresca misleads with questions about defender's future
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's decisions on tour, both in terms of who he took to the Club World Cup and who he is using out there, are all very interesting to consider as we try to extrapolate what his preferred group will be for next season. In some cases, people are probably reading into them too much. But this is all we have to go on so far, so it's natural to try and draw some conclusions. The fact that Trevoh Chalobah went to the USA this year after not going last year has led some to conclude he's finally proved his worth, and Maresca was asked in his press conference today whether that was the case. Enzo Maresca denies Chalobah departure Trevoh Chalobah leaves the pitch injured against Aston Villa. (Photo by) Advertisement 'No, in this moment, all the players that are here with us, I don't want to lose them,' the coach began, before then contradicting himself: 'But then we said many times that when the window is open, unfortunately, anything can happen. To buy a player or to sell a player. Trevoh came back with us in January. If we did the Champions League spot in the top four, it's also because of Trevoh. He helped us a lot. In this moment, he played also some games here. He is with us. We are happy with him. Then, as I said, unfortunately, when the window is open, anything can happen, but not only for Trevoh, but for the 25 players of the squad.' Maresca misleads to make Chalobah decision sound out of Chelsea's hands Maresca's repeated use of 'unfortunate' makes it sound like Chalobah could go without Chelsea's permission. Instead, it's obvious that if he leaves it will only be because they want to sell him. The sporting directors could yet consider the temptation of the 'pure profit' of selling an academy produced player for big money too good to turn down it seems, so matter how unpopular that decision would be with fans, and potentially Maresca too.
