NEWS | Life-saving gift to football club in memory of local player

THE memory of a record-breaking young Herefordshire footballer will live on in Ledbury, thanks to a life-saving donation from his father. 

As a boy, Paul Jenkins set a record in the Herefordshire Junior League when he went seven seasons in a row without missing a game in the competition. 

He started as a ten-year-old striker and played every game as he worked his way through the age groups until he was sixteen. 

His remarkable achievement included five seasons with Hereford Lads Club, as well as one each with Widemarsh and Hinton. 

Paul sadly died in 2015 at the age of just thirty, and when his father Brian approached local clubs to offer them a defibrillator in memory of his son, Ledbury Town Football Club was the first to accept. 

It is fitting that the first £1,700 machine has been sited at their New Street ground, as Paul completed his seven-year sequence of games by playing there in an Under-16s cup final in 2002. 

Ledbury Town chairman Peter Boyle said: “This is not only a massive thing for our club, but massive for Ledbury as well. 

“To have one these machines placed in town means that it will be within walking distance when someone needs it, meaning it can hopefully save lives.  

“This would not have been possible without Brian’s extremely generous donation in memory of his son, and as a club we are forever grateful.” 

Brian, who also played local football in the county, said: “A defibrillator should always be available at local matches in case the worst happens to a player, spectator, or even passers-by. 

“In recent years, football supporters will remember the high-profile cases of Fabrice Muamba and Christian Eriksen, who both collapsed during matches but survived thanks to swift emergency treatment. 

“Local footballers may not have access to the facilities available in the professional game, but the availability of a defibrillator may still save their lives.” 

He added: “I am delighted that Ledbury Town FC have agreed to site the equipment at their ground, where the wider community can also access it if needed.”