Next month, my team and I will be taking on the famous Knaresborough Bed Race to help raise funds for Knaresborough Town Football Club’s new 3G pitch.

When I visited the club last year, I saw first-hand the vital role it plays in our community—not just in providing sporting opportunities, but also through its partnerships with local charities like Henshaw’s and its support for groups such as Rainbow Care Dementia.

During that visit, the club’s co-chairmen highlighted concerns about their current pitch, which is often waterlogged and regularly disrupts both matches and training sessions.

Following the visit, I raised the issue with the Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, who arranged for the Football Foundation to visit the club. The Foundation confirmed that they could support the project—but the club still needs to raise a share of the funding themselves.

That’s why we’re getting involved in the bed race—to do our bit to help make the new pitch a reality. With better facilities, the club can keep growing, welcome more players, and continue its brilliant work across the community.