Community rallies for local stalwart following attack

The community has rallied to support local fundraiser Radek Evans after he was assaulted while stewarding at a football match in Frome. 

Radek, known for his fundraising and volunteering work in the town, was stewarding at the Frome Town FC match against Basingstoke Town on Saturday 12th October. Following the match, after noticing someone walk off with the club flag, he was knocked unconscious by a Basingstoke supporter. 

Condemning the attack, the supporters’ club of Frome Town FC, where Radek is also the head of recycling, held a meeting the following day to discuss how to support him. They launched a fundraising campaign to raise money for Radek to purchase a new shed to store his recycling bins and equipment, as he had previously expressed his desire to have his own shed at the club. 

“That guy is unbelievable. He has such a passion for recycling and fundraising,” explained a member of the supporters’ club, Alex Silk. 

“I had spoken to Radek the week before, and he has a compound at the back of the football club, which he uses as his recycling centre. He sorts everything out; he even paid out of his own pocket for a glass recycling bin. 

“At the moment, he has an old freezer where he puts all his bits and pieces. He was looking online for a small shed to put in the compound to house his recycling efforts, but after the incident, there was a supporters’ club meeting, and I proposed that, for all the hard work Radek does, maybe we should give something back. Everyone was in agreement, and we launched the campaign.” 

The fundraiser has so far raised nearly £1,500. “It’s a real team effort from everybody,” said Alex. “For someone who does so much for other people, to have someone do something for him is quite touching.” 

Radek said, “I am really grateful to the football club and all the people who raise money for me. The shed will be a nice space for me to manage all my recycling work.” 

Any excess money from the fundraiser will support Radek in his efforts to raise funds for the local family charity Purple Elephant, for which he is running 24 half marathons by next February. 

To contribute to the fundraiser, visit the GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/radeks-recycling-shed.