Fundraisers club together to remember Stirling author and sports fan
Bridge of Allan Sports Club hosted a remembrance fundraiser event in honour of dedicated member Bert Mitchell, who sadly died of a stroke last April.
His wife Arlene and daughter Ava put on a day to celebrate their beloved Bert and to ensure his legacy lives on at his club.
The day boasted everything Mitchell enjoyed: sport, food and socialising.
Ava said: 'With excellent cuisine thanks to the Secret Chef, everyone was kept happy with the vast selection of food options.
'A thanks needs to go to Louise from Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland who said a couple of words on the day on the impact of strokes and how many people in the UK are affected.
'Approximately 100,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK.
'Stats like that put into perspective how important it is to raise money for causes like CHSS, to help ensure no-one is alone when going through a stroke.'
The first exhibition of the afternoon was tennis, featuring Jonny O' Mara [Andy Murray's coach for his last year on court] and some of Stirling University's best players: Scott MacAulay, Matthew Earnshaw and Robert Cawley.
Ava added: 'The match was a smashing success with people oohing and aahing at every shot.
'Everyone loved the raffle and it came to a point where tickets had to be created as they ran out.
'A huge thank you has to go to all the companies and brands who donated to us.
'These include: Whyler Photography, Adam Brown Tennis Academy, Paper Kisses, Malmaison, Hotel Du Vin, Game4Padel, Head Squash, Arran Sense of Scotland, Stirling Gin, Birds and the Bees and Graham's Dairy's, among others.
'The day was non-stop with a squash exhibition match starting at 5pm featuring John Meehan and Andrew Glen who are both Senior International players.
'This was a gripping match with both players dripping of sweat and it went to a fourth set.
'The level was high and points were long, with viewers turning their heads at each stroke.
'They certainly put on a good show.'
The day fittingly concluded at the squash courts with the unveiling of a memorial plaque in honour of Bert Mitchell.
It has been positioned between court 3 and 4.
Court four is memorable for being 'Bert's court' - the one he loved to play on and booked regularly.
Ava said: 'It felt right to conclude the day where my dad spent much of his time training on court.
' It was great to see so many people who knew my dad, supporting us on the day.
'I want to thank the local community for their help in advertising our event.
'A special thanks needs to go to Forrester Pyke, the local organist at Bridge of Allan Parish Church who put posters up in the church.
'It was great to have the support from so many.'
Arlene and Ava have so far raised nearly £1500 on Justgiving - with further funds raised on the day seeing the total so far sitting at around £3500.
The pair are hoping with further advertisement and encouragement they could get to £5000.
Arlene said: 'It was a great day and everyone was so generous - but we are still keen to keep pushing.
'We want to reach £5000 for the charity.
'Any donations would mean a lot to us.
'Even £10 could make a difference to someone struggling with a stroke just now.
'Please help us reach our target to a well deserving cause which is close to many of our hearts.'
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Bridge of Allan Sports Club hosted a remembrance fundraiser event in honour of dedicated member Bert Mitchell, who sadly died of a stroke last April. His wife Arlene and daughter Ava put on a day to celebrate their beloved Bert and to ensure his legacy lives on at his club. The day boasted everything Mitchell enjoyed: sport, food and socialising. Ava said: 'With excellent cuisine thanks to the Secret Chef, everyone was kept happy with the vast selection of food options. 'A thanks needs to go to Louise from Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland who said a couple of words on the day on the impact of strokes and how many people in the UK are affected. 'Approximately 100,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK. 'Stats like that put into perspective how important it is to raise money for causes like CHSS, to help ensure no-one is alone when going through a stroke.' The first exhibition of the afternoon was tennis, featuring Jonny O' Mara [Andy Murray's coach for his last year on court] and some of Stirling University's best players: Scott MacAulay, Matthew Earnshaw and Robert Cawley. Ava added: 'The match was a smashing success with people oohing and aahing at every shot. 'Everyone loved the raffle and it came to a point where tickets had to be created as they ran out. 'A huge thank you has to go to all the companies and brands who donated to us. 'These include: Whyler Photography, Adam Brown Tennis Academy, Paper Kisses, Malmaison, Hotel Du Vin, Game4Padel, Head Squash, Arran Sense of Scotland, Stirling Gin, Birds and the Bees and Graham's Dairy's, among others. 'The day was non-stop with a squash exhibition match starting at 5pm featuring John Meehan and Andrew Glen who are both Senior International players. 'This was a gripping match with both players dripping of sweat and it went to a fourth set. 'The level was high and points were long, with viewers turning their heads at each stroke. 'They certainly put on a good show.' The day fittingly concluded at the squash courts with the unveiling of a memorial plaque in honour of Bert Mitchell. It has been positioned between court 3 and 4. Court four is memorable for being 'Bert's court' - the one he loved to play on and booked regularly. Ava said: 'It felt right to conclude the day where my dad spent much of his time training on court. ' It was great to see so many people who knew my dad, supporting us on the day. 'I want to thank the local community for their help in advertising our event. 'A special thanks needs to go to Forrester Pyke, the local organist at Bridge of Allan Parish Church who put posters up in the church. 'It was great to have the support from so many.' Arlene and Ava have so far raised nearly £1500 on Justgiving - with further funds raised on the day seeing the total so far sitting at around £3500. The pair are hoping with further advertisement and encouragement they could get to £5000. Arlene said: 'It was a great day and everyone was so generous - but we are still keen to keep pushing. 'We want to reach £5000 for the charity. 'Any donations would mean a lot to us. 'Even £10 could make a difference to someone struggling with a stroke just now. 'Please help us reach our target to a well deserving cause which is close to many of our hearts.'
