Labour and Reform UK swap council 'political football' for five-a-side match for Doncaster charity
Local politicians will swap tit-for-tat statements to tiki-taka strategies in hopes of raising £1,000.
Councillors from rival political parties in Doncaster will face-off in a five-a-side charity football game, with hopes of raising at least £1,000 for a local charity.
Ten City of Doncaster councillors will lace-up to raise money for Mental Health Football Club CIC (MHFC), a mental health charity based in the city.
Match organiser, Councillor Rob Dennis, Labour, said: “Mental Health FC are great at helping people, particularly men, improve their mental health through football.
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“The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) state that one person dies by suicide every 90 minutes. As a group of cross-party councillors, we want to raise funds through this football match to help people in Doncaster access the support they need.”
Doncaster Labour’s line-up is set to include one of the party’s most senior figures, as Cllr James Church, a member of Mayor Ros Jones’ cabinet, will take to the field.
The match will kick off at 11.15am on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Goals on Worcester Avenue, Wheatley.
Cllr Rachel Reed, the Reform UK Doncaster spokesperson, said: ““The match is a great opportunity to show Doncaster residents that councillors from all sides can and do work together for the good of the city. By raising funds for MHFC, more sessions can be put on for people across Doncaster to enjoy and benefit from.”
It is understood that the Reform UK line-up includes former deputy leader Cllr Karl Hughes, Cllr Gerald Squire, Cllr Rebecca Booth, Cllr Isaiah-John Reasbeck and Cllr Nick Smith.
The Labour Party team will see Cllr Church, Cllr Rob Dennis, former civic mayor Cllr Tim Needham, Cllr Ken Guest and Cllr Bob Anderson take to the field.