Fundraising dribble-athon! Lochinver footballer to dribble ball 64 miles from port to Golspie in aid of her team and Ukraine war victims
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A keen footballer from Lochinver is tackling a monumental challenge to raise money for Sutherland Women’s Football Club (SWFC) and the victims of the war in Ukraine.
Franci Hutchison (28) will dribble a football from her north-west Sutherland home to Golspie, where the Sutherland women’s team train.
She will set out on the 64-mile dribble-athon next Thursday, April 14.
The distance is the equivalent of 1020 football pitches and she makes the journey every week by car to attend training sessions.
She has called the challenge Passing Places because en route she passes through many small villages and places, including Inchnadamph, Ledmore, Oykel Bridge, Rosehall, Lairg and Rogart.
“I haven’t figured out whether it will take me two days or three,” said Franci, who works full-time at Highland Stoneware Pottery and also volunteers with Assynt Mountain Rescue Team.
“However, I promise to complete the journey as quickly as I can in a continuous trip with some rest camp spots.”
Franci will be supported by her partner Tom Woolley and brother Clarke Hutchison who have both offered to keep her topped up with water and food and also drive a vehicle in which she can have a rest.
“I might have a few rolling subs (team mates, friends and family) joining me where they can to help out with morale and passing back and forth,” she said.
A relatively new club, SWFC, which has players from across the county, has already had major success, winning the Highlands and Island League Cup in their debut season last year.
Franci, who last year played left back but is now playing centre midfield, said: “We are delighted at our achievements to date in the short time we have trained, played and socialised together.
“Due to the dedicated coaching team and those liaising with Scottish Women’s Football, we have developed into a strong, supportive squad boasting both junior and senior teams.”
However the club is in need of funds for team travel, kit and training equipment as well as social team building events and awards.
Franci said she was undertaking the challenge because she was conscious of the fundraising efforts others had gone to and she also wanted to help keep the club “afloat”.
She is also donating a portion of the funds raised to Common Goal’s Ukraine emergency response appeal.
“Common Goal is rooted in the belief that the world’s most popular sport is one of the few cultural forces strong enough to help shift society towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all,” she said.
“We want to maximise the game’s contribution to people and the planet by forging a lasting connection between football as a business and as a catalyst for social transformation.”
SWFC team manager John Smith said: "Hats off to Franci and I am full of admiration for her - it is a fair old task she has set herself.
"But she will not be on her own. I am sure when she is doing it, she will get support from the rest of the girls."
Franci has already exceeded her £500 fundraising target. To donate, click here.
