Peterborough fundraiser hits £100k milestone for good causes with 300th charity football match

A Peterborough fundraiser has now hit a major landmark this weekend.

On Sunday (May 25), Marco Sementa hosted his 300th charity football match, a feat that has now seen him raise over £100,000 for charity in the last decade.

Team Sementa’s 300th match took place at Peterborough United’s London Road Stadium and kicked off a day of seven matches on the famous pitch.

Marco said: “It was an epic day and we managed to raise so much money to add to our total. I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey. It means the world to me.”

Marco’s efforts for over ten years have seen an incredible amount of money raised for 65 different charities, all from charity matches involving people of all ages and abilities “playing together for change.”

Marco first began his charity fundraising efforts in 2015 in memory of his hum Shayne, who passed away in 2012.

He only originally planned to host five matches to raise £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support but the project snowballed since then!

Over years, the matches have raised money for as many worthy causes, including Macmillan Cancer Support and Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice. This year, efforts will go towards Diabetes UK after Marco’s daughter Isabella was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes last year.

To donate: visit: www.justgiving.com/page/10yearsofteamsementaplayingforchange10.

Marco said: “It’s crazy really I only set out to raise £500 from five games!

"Our latest event for the 300th game has seen us now raise over £100,000 which is amazing, I never thought we would get to that. We have helped over 60 charities now and I would like to go onto get that to 100.

"We’ve had about 850 players over the years and it’s all people I know. It’s all surreal to me, picking players and then looking over on the pitch and the goalie is my old teacher or the left back is my friend from school and my right backs a teammate from 2001. It’s really cool to see everyone coming together for the same cause.

“It’s really cool to show my daughters that anyone can make a difference.”