Fundraising match at Loftus Road celebrated at Football League Awards

#Game4Grenfell, QPR's fundraising event held at Loftus Road last September has won a Special Project Award at the Football League Awards on Sunday, 15 April.

#Game4Grenfell saw two sides combining ex-professional footballers and celebrities play a closely fought game to raise money for the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.

The event raised over £900,000 after Kensington and Chelsea Council agreed to match the total raised by supporters.

Held at the Hilton Park Lane, the club and QPR in the Community Trust were represented, alongside three survivors Shahin Sadafi, Nicholas Burton and Bellal El Guenuni, as well as #Game4Grenfell participants Andy Sinton and Marc Bircham.

The Judging Panel thought that the Community Project was very powerful and clearly demonstrated the importance of the Trust’s involvement in providing and coordinating support to the local community in the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy and the long-term support to the survivors.

The game and the Trust’s engagement of other London clubs was seen as a great example of the power of football coming together to unite the community.

In awarding #Game4Grenfell the Special Project Award, Football League CEO Shaun Harvey, said: "In desperate circumstances and in a time of great need, QPR showed truly remarkable leadership, underlining just how vital professional football clubs are to the life of the communities in which they reside.

"From QPR in the Community Trust's immediate work in the aftermath of such devastation, through to #Game4Grenfell which offered hope to so many, the actions of all those connected to QPR were remarkable."

QPR in the Community Trust CEO, Andy Evans, added: "#Game4Grenfell was an undoubted success and there are so many people to thank for making it possible, but it's not about plaudits, it's about our local community.

"The work the Trust is doing, in conjunction with many other local charities and organisations, will ensure the legacy from the game lives on in the form of various community-based programmes to support those affected for many years to come.

"Hopefully by QPR winning this award, it will bring Grenfell back into the spotlight, because there is still a lot of work that needs to be done."

QPR's Director of Football, Les Ferdinand, added: "After the game I remember speaking to some of the survivors and they were saying 'since the tragedy, this is the best day we've had.'

"A lot of people had felt on their own and thought no-one cared. But they saw a packed stadium and everything that took place was done for them and no other reason.

You can read a full report on the match, highlights of which are pictured below here.

Olly Murs smashes a penalty passed 'the Special One'. Picture: QPR

Team Ferdinand celebrate their victory. Picture: QPR

Team Ferdinand: David Seaman, Danny Gabbidon, Clint Hill, Ben Shephard, Clive Wilson, Mo Farah, Damian Lewis, DJ Spoony, Olly Murs, Peter Crouch, Marcus Mumford.
Subs: Stan Collymore, Shay Given, Andy Impey, Tinie Tempah, Wretch 32, Marc Bircham, Serge Pizzorno, Jack Whitehall, Paul Merton, Chris Edwards, Iain Glen, Damien Duff, Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, Shahin Sadafi (Resident), Omar Salha (Volunteer), Gregg Jules (Firefighter), Adam Foster (Firefighter).

Team Shearer: David james, Ralf Little, Des Walker, Danny Jones, Lee Mack, Darren Campbell, Jamie Redknapp, Jamie Dornan, Trevor Sinclair, Chris Sutton, Ben Cohen.
Subs: Jose Mourinho, Jody Morris, Dave, Richard Ashcroft, Andy Sinton, Jarvis Cocker, James Bay, Ed Westwick, Kevin Gallen, Tamer Hassan, Russell Howard, Paul Bullion, Steve Mackey, Oluwaseun Talabi (Resident), Bobby Ross (Resident), Paul Menacer (Resident), David Badillo (Firefighter), Dean Smith (Firefighter).

April 16, 2018