Highland golden oldies five-a-side football team to raise funds for children in Scotland and Ukraine during the popular Sneckie Insomnia overnight soccer event which is organised annually by the Inverness Business Fives Group
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A Highland five-a-side football team – who claim to be the oldest in the world with a combined age of 350 years – is appealing for players to sign up for its annual charity tournament.
It is set to take place later this month in aid of children in need in both Scotland and Ukraine.
Organised annually by the Inverness Business Fives Group the popular Sneckie Insomnia overnight soccer event has raised more than £60,000 for Children’s Hospices Across Scotland (CHAS) in just three years prior to the Covid pandemic.
This year will be the fourth event and it will be held outdoors for the first time on Saturday, June 18, and Sunday, June 19, at Highland Rugby, at Canal Park, with all proceeds going towards CHAS and Save the Children Ukraine Fund.
As well as the main tournament there will be children’s football competitions and games held in the afternoon from noon to 4pm.
Ukrainian volunteers, Viktoriia Obraztsova and Tanya Reign who both live locally, will also be helping at the event.
Sneckie’s oldest organiser is Frank Gaskell (75), is a former head of international affairs at Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
He was born in 1946, the year when league football started again after the Second World War, and has been playing with his fellow teammates, who are all aged between 60 and 75, since the 1980s.
“Football is such great exercise and we’re all still very competitive and aim to continue playing as long as we can. If we can play, so can you, so please sign up and help," he said.
“There is still time to enter to help us reach our funding target of £20,000 – money much needed to support the fantastic things CHAS do – and also the children of Ukraine.”
CHAS currently supports more than 20 children with life-shortening conditions and their families in Inverness, the Highlands and Moray.
Ruathy Donald, the charity’s community fundraiser, said: “The Sneckie Insomnia Soccer is a fantastic community event run by the generous members of Inverness Business Fives and we are delighted the fourth event is taking place in CHAS’s 30th anniversary year.
“All the money raised through sponsorship and donations will go towards helping provide vital care and to support families in the Highlands and children desperately in need in Ukraine. With Scotland playing Ukraine in the World Cup play-off semi-final this month the event is especially poignant so I hope as many people as possible sign up in support.”
• To sign up visit Facebook and for those who can’t make it but would still like to support CHAS and the Save the Children Ukraine Fund can donate via the group’s Just Giving page or text 70460 with the amount they wish to donate.
