Young Bradford City FC fan from Morecambe raises £1,400 for charity in memory of grandmother

A young football fanatic has raised £1,400 for charity in memory of her late grandmother.
Georgia Thornton with the ribbons she has been selling for charity.Georgia Thornton with the ribbons she has been selling for charity.
Georgia Thornton with the ribbons she has been selling for charity.

Heysham High School pupil Georgia Thornton will be a special guest at Bradford City’s home game tomorrow, Saturday, to present a cheque for her fundraising efforts to the head of Bradford Burns Unit.

Georgia, 11, is a massive Bradford City fan, and after losing her nanna Sue after a short illness last November she decided to do something in her memory.

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She came up with the idea of making claret and amber ribbons, as her nanna was a big Bradford City fan like the rest of the family, to give to people to wear at the funeral.

Georgia Thornton making the ribbons she has been selling for charity.Georgia Thornton making the ribbons she has been selling for charity.
Georgia Thornton making the ribbons she has been selling for charity.

The intention was never to sell the ribbons but after people began giving her money for them, Georgia decided the money raised would go to the Bradford Burns Unit.

And up to last week she had raised an amazing £1,400.

By chance Georgia recently bumped into the chief operating officer at Bradford City, James Mason, who was blown away be her efforts and set the ball rolling for her to push on and raise more funds.

This week has seen Georgia buy more supplies and make as many ribbons as possible in a bid to raise as much money as possible for a charity close to the family’s heart.

A tweet from Bradford City FC about Georgia's fundraising.A tweet from Bradford City FC about Georgia's fundraising.
A tweet from Bradford City FC about Georgia's fundraising.
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With it being close to the anniversary of Bradford City fire disaster, Georgia is hoping people will buy a ribbon in memory of those who lost their lives on that fateful day on May 11 1985.

Georgia’s dad Scott, who lived in Bradford until he was 15, attended the match with his parents on the day of the fire as an eight-year-old, along with two of his brothers.

The club has now become involved with Georgia’s fundraising efforts and invited her to the game on Tuesday evening against MK Dons, where she sold more of her ribbons in one of the suites.

She will also be at the game tomorrow, Saturday, versus Southend United, selling ribbons before presenting a cheque at half-time to the head of Bradford Burns Unit, Ajay L Mahajan.

Georgia Thornton with the ribbons she has been selling for charity.Georgia Thornton with the ribbons she has been selling for charity.
Georgia Thornton with the ribbons she has been selling for charity.
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Georgia has set up a Twitter account to help – @BCAFC_RIBBONS – and this has led to numerous requests for the ribbons she has made.

She has also been given a signed Bradford City shirt by a fellow fan to auction off for the charity.

Dad Scott, who is branch manager at Castle Windows on White Lund, said: “The response from the fans and people in general has been brilliant.”