The Ged Blaney Memorial Sevens at Whitehaven Cricket Club has fast become one of the most popular annual sporting events in the county.
This year’s bank holiday event was blessed with great weather and around 1,000 people attended throughout the day.
The GMB Union sponsored proceedings and around £5,750 was raised for the Loweswater and Henderson suites at the West Cumberland Hospital.
Competitors travelled from all over the country to participate in the cricket Sevens and to bid in the auction which was also held at the Playground.
Ged died in 2015 after a long battle with cancer, but since then the Whitehaven club has held the Sevens and estimate that in that time they have raised around £30,000.
The competition involved 24 teams and was won by teenagers Catch of the Day who defeated last year’s champions Net Lads and Dads in the final.
In the plate competition Whitehaven RUFC retained the trophy after beating the Donald Stump Seven in a close game.
Player of the tournament was Shane Tyson and the female equivalent was Maddie Wood. The junior awards winners were judged to be 10-year-old Harry Keeler and 11 year-old Lexie Foster.
Whitehaven committee member Phil McCormick said: “We wanted to say a big thank you to two England cricketers who donated for the auction. Captain Ben Stokes sent an autographed bat and Liam Livingstone, two signed England shirts.
“It’s great to see them supporting an event in Cumbria where they both had their cricketing roots.”
The organising committee, on behalf of the family, also expressed thanks to Simon Chilton who completed a sponsored bike ride to raise funds.
The event was sponsored by GMB union, Brooks, No 11 Restaurant, From The Heart, Morrison’s, Dovenby Ship, Jean’s Flowers, Flower Basket, Solo, Richardsons, Louise Riley, Sam Fletcher-Wilson, Lorraine Alfaro, Beth Farrer, Karen’s Bakes, Simply Devine, Haig’s Butchers, Shepley’s, Seville Hairdressers, The Puppet Company, Sarah McAvoy, Waves Skin Therapy, Jamie Carson, Backyard Pizzas, Sizzling Simons, Mawson’s Ice Cream and Michael Wheatley of That Vintage Football Shirt Company.
There was also a special thanks to local businessman Andy Pratt for the use of his refrigerated van throughout the event.
