Foundation gets full charity status after highly successful auction event

The event at Brighouse Sports and Social Club saw 150 family, friends and supporters of the Ross Smith Foundation come together and raise thousands for the cause.

Dave Kerridge, a trustee of the foundation, said: “We’ve had massive support from people and businesses.

“Now we have raised over £5,000 we can register as an official charity.

“On behalf of Ross’ mum Jayne and the charity we would like to thank everyone who has supported us.

“We have a number of things planned over the next 12 months.”

The charity was formed by family and friends of Ross, a popular Brighouse and Clifton football player who died aged 27 from an aggressive form of cancer.

He lost his nine month battle to a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer earlier this year.

Ross, a keen Manchester United fan attending many of their matches, joined Clifton Rangers in 1994, and played with them until his mid-teens.

He went on to play for Huddersfield Town Academy, Halifax Town Academy, Brighouse Juniors, Bradford Park Avenue, Shelf United and Brighouse Town.

He then progressed to Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina for four years from 2009, where he spent much of his time playing football and representing the college as captain of the senior team.