Former Cheltenham Town FC player Nick Gazzard has made a return to Whaddon Road but he won’t be putting his boots on this time around as the charity he set up has been named the club’s official Charity Partner of the Season.
Nick played for Cheltenham between 1983 and 1987. He set up the Hollie Gazzard Trust after the murder of his daughter in February 2014. Hollie, 20, was killed in Gloucester in 2014 when her ex-partner, Asher Maslin, stabbed her at the hairdressing salon where she worked.
Since then Nick has campaigned tirelessly to make sure people are safe and tried to raise awareness of knife crime, stalking, domestic abuse and abusive relationships.
Previous charities that have worked with Cheltenham Town have included Acorns and The Samaritans. Nick is delighted the Trust has been chosen. “This football club means a lot to me and my family and we are over the moon to be working with them,” he said.
“One of the things we will be introducing to the clubs players and staff is Hollie Guard, the trusts personal safety app that is now being used all over the country by various organisations. A big thanks goes to the chairman, directors of Cheltenham for giving us this opportunity.”
Michael Duff, Cheltenham Town manager said: “I am very pleased that the club are linking up with the Hollie Gazzard Trust as our charity partners for the 2019/20 season. It is important as a club that we support local charity organisations with the work they are doing to benefit society, and the Hollie Gazzard Trust does great work in educating others about the importance of reducing domestic violence, as well as tackling anti-social behaviour, stalking and knife crime. I hope our fans can get behind our charity partners for the forthcoming season and we can help spread awareness of these important issues to our fan base.”
