MALVERN Town legend Matt Turner has braved a 150km run throughout April to raise vital funds for a Worcester charity which has helped his son’s journey with autism.
The centre forward, who called time on his football career in December, has been running 5km a day throughout this month in a bid to raise cash for the Worcester Snoezelen Project.
The former Malvern striker has raised over £2,100 for the charity through his JustGiving page, smashing his £1,000 target.
Matt’s son Oscar has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and through the Worcester Snoezelen Project, he has been able to enjoy multisensory activities with a group of other youngsters with disabilities and additional needs.
Worcester Snoezelen is a leisure therapy centre offering a range of multisensory activities designed to empower, bring joy, and help those with disabilities and additional needs make choices and communicate through alternative means.
Matt has been updating people on his progress on social media.
On numerous times throughout his journey, he even stopped off at his old club, where Malvern Towns physiotherapists with his recovery.
Matt and his son Oscar marked the day of his final run on Tuesday by going on a visit to Worcester Snoezelen.
The term ‘Snoezelen’ was first coined in the 1970s by two Dutch therapists who used interactive rooms to provide therapy for people with autism and other disabilities.
The charity runs over 13,100 sessions each year, with activities including weekly hydro pool sessions and annual music and art sessions.
Matt joked that, after a 150,000-metre run in the name of charity, he was done with running.
He added: “I put everything I had left into this last run and I made it to the end in my quickest time of the month.
“To all those who have donated, thank you, the pain has been worth it for your generosity.”
Matt was a popular figure on and off the pitch during his 12 years with Malvern Town, being nicknamed ‘milky’ by fans of the club.
During his time there, which started when he was 18 years old, he became a regular on the scoresheet as Malvern progressed from Step Six to Step Four.
Visit www.justgiving.com/page/matt-turner-1711452144712 to donate.
