The legacy of England's first black footballing legend, honoured through Crowdfunder

02/12/25 • 38 min

When Jack Leslie was selected to play for England in 1925, no one could have imagined what would happen next. Being the first ever black player to be selected to play for his country, Jack's elation soon turned to disbelief when his name was dropped from the list for no apparent reason. Fast forward almost 100 years and a campaign to honour this incredible footballer raised over £100,000 for a permanent statue of Jack at his club, Plymouth Argyle.

But that's not the end of the story, as we discover from Matt Tiller, author of The Lion That Never Roared and who, alongside Greg Fozsmith, have now raised over £140,000 on Crowdfunder - find out how they did it, so you can do the same for a cause close to your heart. We are also delighted to chat to Jack's granddaughter Leslie on this episode. Hear how she grew up with a famous footballer as a grandfather, and how much the statue and his ongoing legacy means to the whole family.

Host Philippa Forrester is also joined by Crowdfunder's co-CEO Simon Deverell as we also explore the benefits of charities using the Crowdfunding platform.

For more information about Crowdfunder and to start your journey, visit Crowdfunder.co.uk

Visit the Jack Leslie campaign on Crowdfunder https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/jack-leslie-campaign

Read more about Jack Leslie here https://jackleslie.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Philippa Forrester is also joined by Crowdfunder's co-CEO Simon Deverell as we also explore the benefits of charities using the Crowdfunding platform.

For more information about Crowdfunder and to start your journey, visit Crowdfunder.co.uk

Visit the Jack Leslie campaign on Crowdfunder https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/jack-leslie-campaign

Read more about Jack Leslie here https://jackleslie.co.uk/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

A special seasonal charity appeal, launched by school teacher, to provide 1,000 beds for children in need

Over 900,000 children in the UK won't have a bed of their own to sleep in this Christmas. School teacher, Bex Wilton, founded Zarach in 2018 to tackle this growing problem, after she discovered a little boy in her class didn't have a bed. Fast forward 6 years and Zarach have now delivered over 10,000 beds, but they still need your help.

They are on a mission to end child bed poverty in England. In 2024 they launched their first ever crowdfunder to delivery 1,000 beds to children before Christmas. With a week to go, they have already delivered 800 beds - help them reach 1,000 by sharing this podcast and their story.

Host Philippa Forrester is also joined by Crowdfunder's co-CEO Simon Deverell as we also explore what opportunities are available to everyone on the Crowdfunding platform.

For more information about Crowdfunder and to start your journey, visit Crowdfunder.co.uk

Zarach's appeal https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/zarachchristmasappeal2024

For more informartion on Zarach, visit zarach.org

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

How prize draws are helping children in war zones around the world

With over 486 million children living in or near a war zone, we chat to Rich Clarke from War Child on how they maximise on their music roots to raise vital funds through Crowdfunder to help children around the world. From being part of a Glastonbury prize draw, which raised over £1.3 million in 2024, to regular music related prizes including signed turntables, we explore what it takes to run successful appeals.

War Child is the only specialist charity for children affected by conflict. For more than two decades, they have been driven by a single goal – to ensure a safe future for every child living through war.

They aim to reach children as early as possible when conflict breaks out and support them long after the cameras have gone. They deliver life-changing services and support in communities affected by conflicts to keep children safe and help them to heal and learn for the chance of a better future.

Host Philippa Forrester is also joined by Crowdfunder's co-CEO Simon Deverell as we also explore the benefits of charities using the Crowdfunding platform.

For more information about Crowdfunder and to start your journey, visit Crowdfunder.co.uk

Visit War Child on Crowdfunder https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/war-child

For more information on War Child, visit warchild.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.