A NEWPORT football club has raised £7,500 for an intensive care unit after a number of club members and family members died during the lockdown.

Lliswerry AFC players, staff and committee members ran more than 7,000 miles in two weeks to raise funds for the unit.

Committee member Adam Corfield, 52, lost his father, Michael, to coronavirus while club members Mark Poole, Bobby Ross, Nicky Berry and Ronnie Richards also died during the lockdown due to unrealated causes.

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“The idea behind it was based on our friends and families in the ICU at the time,” said Mr Corfield.

“A couple of the lads had started logging their runs as a way of keeping fit. At the time, my father was in the ICU and a member of the club, Mark Poole, was also in the ICU.

“Two of the lads, Jonathan Newall and Kyle Bassett, suggested that we would start doing it for charity, and we decided to do it for the ICU at the Royal Gwent to show our appreciation.

South Wales Argus:

(Lliswerry AFC captain and vice captain Kyle Bassett and Jonathan Newall suggested raising money for the Royal Gwent ICU. Pictures: Lliswerry AFC.)

“Just after that, my father passed away in the ICU.

“We set up the fundraising page and set a £500 target, with an aim of walking, running or cycling 2,000 miles between us. We called it ‘Miles for Smiles’.

“Within the first few days, we had reached the £500 and had raised £2,000, so we decided as the donations were going up, we would match that with the miles.

“We then had people from the community asking if they could help reach our target. Other local teams including Albion Rovers, Cromwell Youth FC, Newport Corinthians and Hartridge RFC all contributed miles and money.

“It became a real community effort.

South Wales Argus:

(Adam Corfield helped organise Lliswerry AFC's fundraising for the Royal Gwent Intensive Care Unit. Picture: Adam Corfield.)

“Pooley (Mark Poole) passed away in the ICU, and we also had club members Bobby Ross, Ronnie Richards and former club member Nicky Berry pass away. pass away.

“After that, we put a flag up at the club and set up a tribute to the people we had lost.

“People from other clubs came down and added their shirts and signed the flag in tribute.

South Wales Argus:

(The tribute at Lliswerry AFC to the members and family members lost during the lockdown. Picture: Lliswerry AFC.)

“I would personally like to take the opportunity to thank everybody on ICU for the care they gave to my father before his passing, especially Kate Sullivan - a family friend - who on her day off went to the ward to sit with my father during his last moments as we could not be there.”

South Wales Argus:

(Lliswerry AFC players and staff donate the money raised and a donation from Beth's Bakes to the ICU at Royal Gwent. Picture: Lliswerry AFC)

The club presented a cheque for the £7,500 raised, along with some treats from Beth's Bakes, as owner Beth Sims' husband plays for Lliswerry, to staff in the ICU at the Royal Gwent Hospital on Friday.