England footballer 'inspired' by Eco-Schools scheme pledges £10,000

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford, who has also played in the England line up, chose to donate some of the proceeds of a special online raffle to benefit young people invoved in Keep Britain Tidy's Eco-Schools programme.

The footballer recently visited a primary school in Leeds to learn more about the scheme, which engages young people in environmental education and action.

He subsequently chose to raffle off his limited-edition centenary shirt from Leeds' promotion winning season along with some Leeds United inspired registration plates, with almost 2,500 supporters participating in the raffle.

It raised an incredible £28,797 of which £10,000 will go to Eco Schools, and the remainder to Patrick's other chosen charities, Andy’s Man Club, and the club’s official charity, the Leeds United Foundation.

All three charities are close to the England player’s heart having previously worked with each of them, learning about the incredible work each are doing to support various causes.

Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, CEO of environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy which runs the Eco-Schools programme in England, said: “We are so grateful for Patrick’s support for our work with children and young people.

“Eco-Schools is a fantastic way for children to learn and take action and the work they do in school is helping to reduce waste, cut carbon and improve their environment. We need the next generation to do a better job of looking after our planet and Eco-Schools helps them develop the understanding and skills, they will need to make a real difference.”

Patrick is pictured with Keep Britain Tidy's Director of Communications Helen Bingham and Marketing Manager Nicola Boon.