LIGHTNING LEAP TO LAUNCH CHARITY LINK

When two Milton Keynes Lightning players jumped from one of the city’s most iconic buildings recently, it wasn’t just a dare – it was to help raise awareness of the British Heart Foundation’s vital work and mark the start of a season-long link between the the club and the charity. The BHF organised the zip slide challenge, inviting residents of Milton Keynes to seek sponsorship to take part and raise money to help the charity continue its vital work to combat heart disease. Cheered on by their families and the team’s supporters last Sunday morning, player-coach Nick Poole and defenceman Ross Green launched themselves from a platform 75 feet above the entrance of the Xscape building, braving cross-winds to speed 400 feet across the car park, dangling from a zip wire. Without any hint of nervousness, Poole caused raised eyebrows when he greeted supporters at the venue, saying he had hoped the platform would be higher, whilst Green – more than aware of the importance of a healthy heart after qualifying as a personal trainer recently - chatted animatedly with the team’s supporters before their jump. As well as raising local awareness of the BHF’s work, the event also marked the start of a season-long link between the club and the charity. Lightning, one of Milton Keynes’s most successful sporting teams, selects a charity each season to benefit from fund raising activities – and Nick Poole’s own interest in the zip slide challenge was just one factor in the club choosing BHF as this season’s beneficiary. “I’d heard about the zip wire event over the summer, and was really keen to get involved”, said Lightning’s player-coach. When I mentioned it to the Chairman of the Lightning Supporters’ Club committee, it turned out they were already considering the British Heart Foundation as our chosen charity for this season. One of our own backroom staff suffered a heart attack earlier this year and thankfully has fully recovered, so beating heart disease is a cause very close to us all. Combine all of that with BHF and the Lightning both celebrating notable anniversaries this year, and it seemed like a natural partnership”. During November the Lightning will play wearing specially-designed kits, featuring the British Heart Foundation’s logo and colours. Supporters will have the opportunity to sponsor individual players’ shirts and a range of other merchandise, with the proceeds split equally between the BHF and Lightning.