Footballers kick off charity for air crash victim Sam at Penwortham tournament in PNE fan’s memory

And the Preston North End fan’s love of football will help fund humanitarian work in Jordan after the success of an inaugural tournament in his home town of Penwortham.

Aid worker Sam, 25, was one of 157 passengers and crew killed when an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed near Addis Ababa in March 2019.

Family and friends organised a football competition staged at his old school and have now announced it will become an annual event to support work with refugees and also fund scholarships to help others get into humanitarian work.

"For us the tournament was as much about celebrating Sam’s legacy, using the sport he loved the most, as it was about raising funds," said his brother Tom.

"It was very fitting that Penwortham Priory Academy played host, as they provided a foundation for Sam to go on and do the great work that he did."

The charity aims to build a centre for refugees, young people and the wider community to use in Jordan.

"It was a place where Sam dedicated much of his time," explained Tom.

"We are ambitious in our aims as a charity. We will also provide scholarships and funding to individuals who wish to pursue a career in the humanitarian field.

"This is a sector that is typically hard to break into, and often involves unpaid/ low paid work. As a result, it is often only people of a certain demographic who can commit to this.

"We will provide funding so people from all walks of life, can follow their dreams."

Teams travelled to Penwortham from far and wide to take part in the tournament. In total the day raised more than £1,750.

"We plan to build and expand on this and make it an annual event," said Tom. "We will be looking to add to our fantastic army of volunteers.

"The day was not just about raising funds. It was to keep Sam’s name alive, his family and friends together sharing old memories and creating new ones.

"New friendships were made and old ones rekindled. It truly was a day that Sam would have loved.

"Our ambitious plan of building a centre in Jordan for refugees and the community to use is something we look towards in the future.

"Meanwhile the funds will go to Generations for Peace, an agency Sam worked for doing fantastic work in underprivileged communities and to Reclaim Childhood an agency doing fantastic work to support the less fortunate and give children the chance to learn through sport and play."

Team PeleGL were triumphant on the day, winning on penalties, on sudden death.

Team captain, Jacob Bretherton, who scored the winning goal, said: “It was a great feeling taking part in such a well run event for a special cause close to everyone’s hearts.

"Hopefully it's a yearly occurrence as it brought a load of people together to not only enjoy the game of football but keep Sam’s name alive.

For charity updates follow @_sams_legacy on Instagram and Sam Pegram Humanitarian Fund on Facebook.