EY sponsor charity sporting event for Derwent College Football Club

Mid-afternoon on the 22^nd February, under glorious sunshine beaming down upon York Sport Village, the five-aside pitches were alive with shouts and balls pinging off the cage walls.

In partnership with EY, Derwent College Football Club celebrated their 60^th anniversary with a competitive kickabout, all while raising money for CALM.

With prizes for the winning team, across the hour or so of play, broken up into ten-minute matches with five-minute breaks in between, it was no calm affair. With the previous day consisting of boozy anniversary celebrations, teams played through hangovers in the hope of raising a trophy at the end of the tournament.

Fairness was preserved across the event through mixed ability teams, which meant every game was as thrilling to watch as the next.

Alongside the football club itself, members of the Economics Society got involved as well as housemates and fellow football enthusiasts across the university. This made the day as inclusive as possible and allowing everyone who took an interest to contribute through playing or donating.

While certainly competitive it was by no means unfriendly, as shown by perhaps a record low for fouls and cards in college football history!

As the matches rolled on, each one consisting of two teams of six (five players with a sub), only two remained by the end for a box office final. With a 2-1 scoreline after a tight match, the tournament was all over and six players were our victors.

Most Read

MAFS Australia 2025 bride launches police investigation against groom in ‘revenge porn’ scandal

Influencer who wouldn’t give plane seat to crying child reveals she lost her entire career

Tally ho! A full explanation of the British Tea Time alarm that’s confusing TikTok right now

Star player of the winning team Brandon Roach was left ecstatic with the result and happy with the tournament in general, saying he “had a great time playing in the 5-aside tournament with loads of club members, all for a good cause.”

Brandon left with a “huge thanks to EY for running the event, it all went very smoothly and what better way to end it all than winning the final with a bottle of champagne!” And with that the drama was all over, where all members headed back into town on a boisterous bus to continue the celebrations.

As well as the nearly one hundred lads who played and came to watch the event, it would not have been possible without the outreach of EY Senior Assurance Associate, and former Derwent Football member, Aidan Duffy, or Derwent Football President Callum Clarke and his whistle.

Callum was pleased with the tournament’s success, adding that it “was great to see so many lads getting down to raise money for charity. Massive thanks to EY for sponsoring the event, and most importantly, doubling our donation to CALM charity.”

Aidan additionally highlighted the future potential for charity events within the university, noting “If you have any charity events on campus that EY can help support please email [email protected].”

As one of the UK’s foremost professional services partnerships, EY has been involved in a number of sponsorships as well as operating an independent charity focused on supporting young people. In agreeing to match the money raised by this football tournament they have helped to support grassroots charitable action.

Moreover, the money raised has found a noble cause in the charity CALM, aimed at tackling the root causes of depression and struggles surrounding mental health, who operate a helpline and chat service for all those affected. Their website and avenues for support can be found on their website: Homepage | Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM).

In the end the tournament raised £161, with EY pledging to match the amount raised, a massive achievement for a single event spearheaded by a single college football club. This proves that sports and charity go hand in hand, with a simple five-aside tournament bringing people together through a common goal while playing the sport they love.

Football itself is a team game, so much more than the sum of it’s individuals, and charity brings this out even more. The generosity of a pass to a teammate who’s through on goal, to the generosity of a donation to those who need it most.

When in the pursuit of helping the most vulnerable in society, football truly is the beautiful game.