STAFF at Dyson took on an exhausting eight-hour football challenge for a good cause on Saturday (21), raising nearly £8,000 in the process.

Teams from the engineering firm in Malmesbury pulled on their football boots to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity.

The football marathon, took place in Cirencester and is one of a series of events being organised by Dyson staff after company selected Alzheimer’s Research UK as its chosen charity.

With every £1 raised being matched with a donation from the James Dyson Foundation, Dyson’s charitable arm, the event raised nearly £8,000 for the pioneering dementia research.

The challenge at Cirencester Arena, saw over 40 players taking part in back-to-back football games, and was organised by Dyson’s Andrew Clifton and Philip Johnson.

Four teams competed for the chance to claim the winner’s trophy, engineered from Dyson parts, while each player tried to raise at least £60 in sponsorship to help boost the fundraising total.

Andrew said: “We’ve previously raised thousands for Dyson’s chosen charities and want to continue that for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“The football marathon involves Dyson people from across the company and the support we had was fantastic, both from the James Dyson Foundation and from all the staff who took part.

“From our head chef, Joe, who provided much-needed fuel for our players, to all those who showed up early to help set up the arena, everyone got on board to make it a great day.

“To organise an event like this is no mean feat.

“Sadly lots of Dyson people have been affected by dementia; this is a real driver for us.

“We’ll be playing to win, but most importantly, the football marathon is about doing what we can to support Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

Philip Johnson added: “This year’s competition was exhausting, and it was possibly even colder inside the arena than it was outside, but it was good fun.

“Everyone knew we were raising money for a great cause so even though it was tough, the players kept fighting on.

“We’ve been really touched by people’s generosity in sponsoring the players this year, and it’s great have been able to raise so much for Alzheimer’s Research UK.”

Vicky Naylor, Corporate Fundraising Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “It’s wonderful to see Dyson staff supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to them for taking on this challenge.

“The money raised will be able to help provide crucial resources for our scientists, bringing new treatments, improved diagnosis and preventions for dementia ever closer.

“With 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK including nearly 7,000 in Wiltshire alone, research into the condition has never been more urgent.

“We rely on public donations to be able to fund our research, and it’s thanks to the support of people like the staff at Dyson that we can continue our work.”

To donate to the team, visit justgiving.com/dysonfootballmarathon2/2 or text DYSN50 and the amount (example DYSN50 £5) to 70070.

To learn more about corporate partnerships with Alzheimer’s Research UK, contact corporate@alzheimersresearchuk.org or call 0300 111 5 333.