A North Yorkshire cricket club have rallied behind one of its much-loved members after he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), as they plan to take part in a two-day charity walk next month.
Crakehall Cricket Club, based near Bedale, is undertaking fundraising events in March to raise money for the Hambleton and Richmondshire branch of the MS Society.
During the course of the last cricket season, John Love, who has been a member of the cricket club for about 15 years, was given the devastating MS diagnosis.
Mr Love, who served his country for 24 years in the military, including serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, first started to notice the signs of MS while playing cricket for Crakehall, before he was officially diagnosed.
The military veteran and his family are now being supported by the MS Society, making it the perfect charity for the cricket club to raise funds for.
As part of the fundraising for the MS Society, members of the cricket club and the community will be embarking on a charity walk on March 27 and 28.
Starting in Crakehall, the two-day walk will take in the cricket grounds in the Nidderdale League, who were original members of the Wensleydale Cricket League, including Newton-le-Willows, Spennithorne, Middleham, Thornton Watlass, before finishing back at Crakehall.
Luke Haslam, Crakehall Cricket Club Secretary, says that the club's members have so far got behind the charity challenge, with 15-20 people expected to take on the walk next month.
Mr Haslam said: "John has been a member of the club for 15 years and is a much-loved person around the club.
"The MS Society has been supporting him and his family, and he deserves all the support from us, so that's why we're doing the charity challenge.
"We've done events for charity before, but this hits closer to home because it's one of our own, and it's nice to see how the cricket community have come together for this.
"Some of our members are doing the whole journey, some are doing one day or one leg of the walk, lots of people are getting involved."
Mr Hslam said that the club hopes to raise as much money as possible for the MS Society, and has already raised more than £1200 on the Just Giving page set up for the challenge.
Alongside the fundraising walk, the club are running a charity raffle and online auction.
So far, the club has a signed ball from Ben Stokes, a signed book from Andrew Flintoff, and a framed signed programme from the 2010 Open Championship from winner Louis Oosthuizen, among various other items, including Alan Shearer's shirt, which can all be bid for online.
All monies raised from the walk, auction and raffle will be donated to the MS Society Hambelton and Richmondshire Branch, who are supporting John and his family.
People can buy raffle tickets can do so either at The Bay Horse, Crakehall or by contacting Luke by emailing haslam.luke@outlook.com.
