'Incredible boss' inspires football fundraiser after shock seizure on a Zoom call

Mike Yorke, from Shifnal, had a seizure when he was on a video call with Volvo colleague Steve Plunkett. The 62-year-old was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, and underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He is currently being monitored by six-month scans.

In light of Mike's plight, Steve has organised a charity football match at Peterborough United's London Road stadium on Tuesday, May 24.

Steve is aiming to raise £17,000 for Brain Tumour Research with the game, as well as a raffle including football memorabilia such as a Celtic FC shirt signed by Paul Lambert and Mick McCarthy, an England shirt signed by ex-Liverpool player Sammy Lee and a shirt signed by Martin O’Neil whose career included playing for Nottingham Forest when they won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980.

Steve, a body and paint programme development manager at Volvo, described Mike as his "incredible boss". He is also raising money for the charity in honour of his friend Denise Branford, from Norfolk, who was also diagnosed with a meningioma, eight years ago after suffering with excruciating migraines, dizziness, double vision and a seizure.

Steve said: "I’m amazed by how well Mike and Denise are doing. They’ve both shown such strength of character, Denise by continuing to teach fitness classes and Mike by hardly having a day off work throughout. Their stories highlight why it’s so important for us to be able to help fund vital research into brain tumours. They are both a real inspiration.”

He added: "I played in a Football Aid match a few years ago and thought ‘why don’t I do my own one with friends and raise a lot of money for good causes’? I’ve been doing it since 2014 and it’s become something that people really want to take part in.

"Everyone’s excited to be there and looking forward to the game and having a few beers afterwards. It’s all taken very seriously once the football match starts but it’s always played in the right spirit.

“Everyone’s living the dream when they step out there, and to see someone doing it for the first time is great. We wouldn’t raise the money we do each year if it was just played on a local park pitch – the professional grounds give it extra kudos.”

Steve's "Plunky's All-Stars" football matches have raised around £54,000 for charity in previous years.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We feel honoured to have been chosen as the recipient of this year’s fundraiser, which has set an ambitious target but has already topped more than £11,000. We wish Mike and Denise all the best for the future and look forward to what we’re sure will be yet another very successful fundraiser.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

To support Steve’s fundraising, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/Steve-Plunkett2