12 hour Sunderland football marathon takes place to raise money to purchase a wheelchair for military veteran

Military Veteran Football Club (MVFC) is running a 'football marathon' tournament to raise £5,000 to purchase a specialist wheelchair for a veteran who has recently been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

The unnamed veteran is a member of the East Durham Veterans Trust and the 'footballathon' event will take place at Goals Sunderland on Sunday December 17 between 9am and 9pm.

MVFC representative Bobby said: "We are hoping to change the life of this veteran who needs support more than ever. This wheelchair is essential for this veteran to be able to live a more comfortable life and not be isolated to his home.

"We are incredibly grateful to Goals Sunderland for donating two pitches to ensure we can put all the funds raised towards the wheelchair."

To register for the 12 hour tournament, players need to raise a minimum of £20 sponsorship which can be paid on the day or via the tournament's GoFundMe page.

Donations can also be made to the fundraising page by anyone wishing to help.

MVFC was founded in January 2022 to support both serving members of the armed forces or veterans. The club promotes football as a way of "getting people out of the house and improving mental and physical well-being through physical activity". 

You can register for the marathon event via the MVFC website.