£16,000 raised, 2,800km travelled: How one man kept a community active in lockdown

LOCKDOWN HEROES: THE WINNERS - FUNDRAISING HERO: Dan Manders had a simple plan to get his cricket and football sides out and about during the pandemic... it turned into a massive fundraising exercise involving 40 different teams. Here's the story...

We've all done it. A long message on the club Whatsapp group drops on a bleak weekday night. Airplane mode. Ignore. Back to Netflix.

Fortunately for Dan Manders, his call to arms was not disregarded by the folk at Shrewsbury Cricket Club.

The 40-year-old's plan was simple: use lockdown and the absence of sport to make a difference to the community. But even he couldn't have imagined what followed.

Alongside Haughmond Football Club, for whom Dan is also a member, the team embarked on a 1,000km run - the distance between Shrewsbury and both Lord's and Wembley Stadium. At least that was the plan.

Thanks to the idea capturing the imagination, this hyperlocal effort between two sports club quickly swept across Shropshire. The initiative was opened up to clubs from across the county. Social media exposure soon meant former players in Australia, South Africa, West Indies, and the Falklands were contributing half an hour to the total.

"He certainly doesn't do it for the praise. He is a big lad himself so running isn't his forte"

It took just six days to reach the original target and upon the scheme being extended, the total run was a staggering 2,800km with as many as 40 teams contributing.

Most importantly though a massive £16,248.69 was raised, all of which went to Severn Hospice which provides care to loved ones in the area. Their fundraising streams had naturally dried up amid the pandemic. And to think, their prayers were answered thanks to a single Whatsapp message.

Father-of-two Dan was nominated for the Fundraising Lockdown category by friend Rob Foster, who describes him as part of the fabric of not only the club but the entire local area.

"Through his whole life he's only played at Shrewsbury, no other club," he told The Cricketer. "He's part of the furniture and has been there a long time. He knows everyone, from those who have finished playing, to those who are in the junior section. He is one of those people who canvas the whole club. He's generally well known and well-liked throughout."

Currently the Second XI captain and coach of the juniors, Dan is key to how the club operates, and when it came to devising a fundraising strategy he was always likely to be at the epicentre.

"Dan is larger than life, a big character," added Rob. "He certainly doesn't do it for the praise. He is a big lad himself so running isn't his forte. We're all proud of his efforts.

"We took inspiration from Worcester CC. We have had a huge selection from our club going to play there. A few ideas had floated about doing something and that gave us a bit of direction. We hoped initially that a few people would get involved or if we could do a joint target between two clubs we'll get the numbers to help do it.

"It was great for people to be getting out there and doing something positive for charity. It gripped hold of everyone. The last day it was chaos with so many clubs around Shropshire wanting to help out."

Dan's was one of dozens of stories of kindness, compassion and creativity during lockdown submitted to The Cricketer as part of the Lockdown Heroes project. You can read about every Fundraising Hero nominee by clicking here