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FGH Security has a proud tradition of supporting aspiring athletes and good causes; this forms the backbone of our company ethos: Staff, Clients, Community. Last Saturday we were able to combine both our charitable and sporting inclinations to provide the security for The Charlie West Cross Code Cup at Broughton Park FC, Manchester. The Charlie West Cross Code Cup is a charity sporting event in its second year which sees Manchester Metropolitan University’s Rugby Union and League 1st teams pitted against each other in a hybrid Rugby League/ Union mash-up, and all to raise money for charities specialising in supporting individuals who have suffered debilitating spinal injuries.
The event was established in 2014 by and is dedicated to Manchester Metropolitan University student and first team rugby union player, Charlie West, who, following an accident 18 months ago was left paralysed from the neck down. This year all profits from the event are to be donated to Wings for Life, a charity that funds research into spinal cord injury, SpecialEffect and the Mark Hampson Foundation. FGH Security provided the security for the event free of charge to ensure that the maximum possible money made its way to these very worthy causes.
We don’t have favourites but as FGH sponsors the training kit for MMU’s rugby Union team we were pleased to see our sponsored team 20-0 up at half time. The second half brought with it a rule change and as league rules replaced union, the advantage turned towards the league specialists. MMU rugby league 1sts pulled back 14 points over the course of the final 40 minutes of the game, but this was not enough to secure the victory as the rugby union team themselves managed to rack-up an additional 6 points during the second half. The game finished with MMU rugby union 1sts clinching the match by 26 points to 14. There were some exceptional individual performances but special commendation has to go out to FGH frontline member of staff and 1st team captain Ryan Hanson, Ryan clocked up an astonishing score after chasing down the ball himself from the breakdown and grounding it over the line for the try.
FGH Security Senior Manager David Hassall was cheering from the side-lines and was delighted by the result but according to Dave ‘It’s not about the victory […] I mean the victory is nice, it’s a bonus but really it’s about a bunch of people getting together to raise a lot of money for some amazing causes. I feel really proud of all the guys out there today who, during what was a times quite a solemn occasion, stepped up and brought their A game. It’s great to see the union and league rivalries put aside, even for a little while, to show support for an injured friend and team mate’.
Over 600 people attended this year and with numbers up from last year the organisers of the event have high hopes of being able to donate even more money to charities in Charlie West’s name. FGH is pleased to be associated with such a noble cause and continue to focus on putting something notable back into the communities we work in. Would you like to come and work for us and are part of the MMU Rugby Union or Rugby League team? Just click here.