Red Arrows News

Red Arrows to play charity football match

Red Arrows personnel will hope to bring the team’s precision to the beautiful game when they take on a charity football match.

Members of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT) will take on Lincoln MvF FC in Lincoln in June this year.

The fixture will help raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund and LIVES Lincolnshire.

Lincoln MvF FC was set up in 2021 with players from the Man Vs Fat Football Challenge – a seven-a-side league promoting healthy weight loss and lifestyle choices through football.

MvF players in the Red Arrows hangar.
Corporal Finlay Hanslip, centre, with fellow Lincoln MvF FC players in the Red Arrows' hangar.

Corporal Finlay Hanslip, who works in the Red Arrows’ operations section and is originally from Essex before moving to Lincoln – the aerobatic team’s home county – said: “Being a member of the Red Arrows support team, I am thrilled to bring Lincoln MvF FC together with RAFAT FC for this match.

“As a player for Lincoln MvF the team has helped me to lose weight and get back to the point that I am now playing regular football up to four times a week, something that I had almost given up on after a serious knee injury.

“The team is a great bunch of friendly people who have all made the change to healthy lifestyles.

They are supporting each other to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way through a shared love of football.

“Some of our players have lost an amazing amount of weight with people achieving anywhere from 10-30 per cent of their body weight and achieving a healthy body-mass index.

“As a team we have taken part in a number of charity events and raised in excess of £3,000 for local Lincoln charities in the last few years and we are looking to keep this going with the fixture against the Red Arrows”.

The RAF Benevolent Fund provides lifelong support to serving and former RAF personnel and their families.

From mobility aids and confidential counselling to financial grants, the charity offers a range of support tailored to the individual’s needs.

The Lincoln MvF FC squad.
The Lincoln MvF FC squad.

LIVES exist to provide emergency care in critical situations in Lincolnshire. The organisation works with communities to ensure that any individual who suffers a 999 medical emergency in the county gets the best rapid response care available.

The charity game between the Red Arrows and Lincoln MvF FC will take place at The Keith Alexander Football Centre, 68 Croft Lane, in Cherry Willingham, on June 13 with a 7.30pm kick-off.

Both sides are hoping for a good crowd turnout, with people able to attend and watch the game and support the fundraising.

Several fundraising challenges and activities will be carried out in the build up to the match including a charity auction.

The Red Arrows XI will comprise players drawn from across the RAF Waddington-based team – pilots, engineers, and support staff.

Gates for the game open at 6pm, with tickets – which are available on-the-day – a voluntary donation per adults, while under-16s enter for free.

  • To support LIVES and Lincoln MVF FC see this JustGiving page or for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund-focused page, visit here.

 

 

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