Police officers went head to head against North Ayrshire council for charity

A team of local Police Officers went head to head against a team from North Ayrshire Council in a charity football match at the weekend. 

The off duty officers and council staff met in Saltcoats on Sunday, 15th October 2017, for the friendly as they were cheered on by family, friends and visitors. At the final whistle the Local Authority Team led 4 goals to nil. The proceeds from the match will be added to the fundraising total as officers raise vital funds for a charity supporting the son of a colleague recently diagnosed with a rare chronic disease. Following a colleague's 7 year old son recently being diagnosed with a rare condition, known as Scleroderma, officers have got together to raise awareness of the condition and to raise vital funds for the only UK charity dedicated to the condition. Scleroderma is a rare, chronic disease of the immune system, blood vessels and connective tissue. Scleroderma & Raynaud's UK (SRUK) are the only UK Charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with Scleroderma and Raynaud's phenomenon. In people who have Raynaud's, the small blood vessels in the extremities are over-sensitive to changes in temperature. A Raynaud's attack can be a very uncomfortable, possibly painful, process. The charity aims to improve awareness and understanding of these conditions, to support those affected, and ultimately, to find a cure. John Gallagher, part of the Building Services section and member of the Local Authority Team at the event said “when we heard of the fundraising efforts in their charity head shave we wanted to get involved and support them. “We work closely together with local officers in our day jobs and today re-emphasised the great sense of community here in North Ayrshire. “I couldn’t possibly comment on the result though.” PC Scott Morrison, based at Saltcoats Police Office, said "the online fundraising page for our charity hair shave has already reached over £1800 and today’s charity match added over £400.34 to that total. “We have been overwhelmed by the support and would like to thank everyone who took part today, those who came along to support us and those who helped supply the kit, bouncy castle and face painting. “We will begin pre-season training soon for a rematch in 2018. “There has been very little research into this rare condition and would encourage everyone to find out more about the condition, about the work of the charity and where possible to donate to this worthwhile cause." Further information is available from the SRUK website at: https://www.sruk.co.uk