More than £4,000 raised at pub race night in memory of 'cherished regular' with money donated to Northampton charity 'close to his heart'

The virtual race night, organised by AFC Spinney’s main and reserve teams was hosted at The Pioneer Pub, in Fulford Drive, and dedicated to Tom Donnelly, who died last year.

Tom, who lived close to the pub, was described as a “cherished regular” and a “familiar face in the area”.

Landlady Nuala said the idea came from the players themselves and was supported by the Donnelly family.

She said: “It hit everyone hard when Tom passed away, the boys wanted to do something positive in his name. The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation (TMDF) was a charity close to Tom’s heart, so supporting them made perfect sense.”

As a result of the event, £4227.50 was raised for TMDF, which is a charity that started in the pandemic at The Swan and Helmet pub. The charity works to help alleviate hunger and provide essential supplies. It now offers a growing network of community wellbeing services across Northamptonshire, including food parcels for local school families, weekly social clubs, home renovations projects and more.

TMDF thanked the football club, the pub, and the community for their generosity, saying the funds would make “a huge difference” to local families.