Young Dale fans raise £2,000 for children’s hospital in Ukraine

Friends Mason and Ben, both 10, came up with the idea of running 30 laps of the Spotland Road stadium – one for each year that Rochdale has been twinned with Lviv

Two young Rochdale AFC fans have run almost 9km around the Crown Oil Arena pitch to raise money for a children’s hospital in Ukraine.

Friends Mason and Ben, both 10, came up with the idea of running 30 laps of the Spotland Road stadium – one for each year that Rochdale has been twinned with Lviv.

The duo took to the pitch on Friday 15 July and have raised around £2,000 for St Nicholas children’s hospital in Lviv, which has been badly affected by the ongoing conflict.

The borough of Rochdale has lengthy links to Ukraine, and since 1992 has been twinned with the city of Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine.

On the tenth anniversary of the twinning a bridge over the river Roch in Rochdale town centre was named after the city.

Donations can still be made via JustGiving.