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21 Apr, 2025
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Wolverhampton woman on mission to help charity football competition hit £500k target in memory of her brother
@Source: expressandstar.com
Sylvia Enefer is the official fundraiser for the JW Hunt Cup which was founded in 1926 and is one of the last surviving charity cup competition for semi professional teams. Played for by clubs within a 20 mile radius of Wolverhampton at step five of the non league pyramid and below, it has raised over £450,000 for the Sedgley based Beacon Centre for Blind. Sylvia, who is now aged 83, wants to get that up to £500,000 for the centenary in 2026, partly in memory of her brother Derek who was a referee for over 40 years including in the football league and was a stalwart of the Wolverhampton Referees Association. He was also a big supporter of the JW Hunt cup in which he refereed many games, but died in 2008 at the age of 70. Sylvia, who lives in Codsall, was also married to former Dudley Town player and Kidderminster Harriers manager Stan Lloyd and was asked to become the charity's official fundraiser four years ago by president and her friend Alex Hamil. Mr Hamil, also a former referee, who used to work at the Beacon Centre for the Blind, was awarded an MBE in 2013 for services to football and the visually impaired. He saw Sylvia as a 'natural fundraiser' due to her friendly personality, work ethic and her love of football. Since then she has worked tirelessly organising raffles at events, attending games including the JW Hunt Cup final at Molineux where the trophy is kept, and raising awareness of the charity and competition At the Black Country Heroes Awards last year, sponsored by the Express and Star, the JW Hunt Cup committee was given a special recognition award at a glittering ceremony, also held at Molineux. Sylvia, who used to work as a telephonist in Wolverhampton is determined to see 'One last push' at reaching the magic £500,000 mark next year and said she would like to do it in memory of her brother and also her very close friend Alex, who is now 89. She said: "I remember being brought up steeped in football, Derek was kicking a ball from the first moment he could walk and I used to play with him, then go and watch games that he took part in. "Derek was incredibly talented as a player and had offers to go professional, I remember the manager of Shrewsbury Town sitting in the front room wanting to sign him and our parents willing him to say yes but he always said he wanted to enjoy the game and not go professional. "He always loved playing amateur football in the Wolverhampton Sunday League and when he took up the whistle he was very successful, officiating all over the country and in Europe. "But he was a loyal member of the Wolverhampton Referees Association and always supported the JW Hunt Cup where officials give their services for free and I think that rubbed off on me. "I have always supported Wolves but my late husband was a successful manager at Kidderminster so we went to grounds all over the Midlands and sometimes elsewhere when they had a cup run." Sylvia said she has enjoyed every minute of her association with the competition which continues, though she doesn't get to as many games as she used to. She said: "There is a lot of fundraising which goes on throughout the year such as a charity golf day recently but it isn't an easy climate now to raise funds. "We enjoy generous sponsorship from the JW Gough Group and others contribute including Wolves who let us use Molineux for the final free of charge and we are grateful for that. "But for Derek and Alex and all the stalwarts it would be my eternal wish to make the total raised up to £500,000 by the 2026 final and I hope it is an achievable target for what we believe is the last surviving full amateur charity tournament in the country." You can read more about the JW Hunt Cup here and to see a game this season, the semi finals will be played at AFC Wulfrunians on May 6 and 7 with the final at Molineux on June 5
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