Thursfields raise £1192 through Football Shirt Friday for the fight against bowel cancer

Scores of staff at leading Midlands law firm Thursfields helped raise £1192.00 in the national Football Shirt Friday initiative to help support the fight against bowel cancer.

The special day is organised every year by the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK, funding scientists, doctors and nurses to help beat bowel cancer.

Thursfields lawyers and staff across the firm’s offices in Worcester, Kidderminster, Halesowen, Solihull and Birmingham wore their favourite football shirts to work on Friday 21 April in return for donations towards the cause.

At Thursfields’ offices at 9-10 The Tything in Worcester, the company produced a special Shrewsbury Town shirt worn with pride by facilities co-ordinator Clare Gwilt. 

Clare said: “My family has a long association with Shrewsbury Town FC since 1966 when my dad, Phillip Hoyle, started playing for the club as a goalkeeper.

“He was lucky enough to be coached by Harry Gregg of Manchester United who played during the reign of Sir Matt Busby.

“We retain a close affiliation with the club, attending home games at Gay Meadow, where my mum worked and has now been involved with the club for over 45 years.

“I have also worked there and now my daughter has followed suit and works on match days.”

Meanwhile, over at Thursfields’ offices at 14 Church Street in Kidderminster, the Football Shirt Friday efforts were led by Zoe Perry, an associate solicitor in the Wills & Estates department. 

Zoe and her family are West Ham supporters and she wore a 2009 away shirt from her collection, and brought in a special Bobby Moore memorial shirt championing the charity.

Zoe said: “I was really pleased we were able to mark this day across the offices and raise funds for a charity especially close to West Ham’s heart.”

Michelle O’Hara, managing director at Thursfields, said: “We were delighted to support Football Shirt Friday, a fun day across all our offices for both football and non-football supporters. 

“It was great to hear the long-standing family ties people have with their clubs and the passion for their teams. 

“It was also a time for reflection and sharing about the impact cancer has had on colleagues and their families. 

“All of our offices contributed generously to this important cause thanks to their team spirit and generosity, and our team raised a total of £1192.00.”

England’s World Cup winning captain and West Ham star Bobby Moore lost his life to the disease in 1993, at the age of just 51.

Now in its 10th year, the fund has raised more than £29 million and has seen mortality rates for bowel cancer fall by more than 30 per cent.