Dean is a Wigan Warriors superfan who lost a bet after the 0-1 defeat against Leigh Leopards in February 2025. But little did he know that this bet would turn into an amazing fundraising journey for a charity close to Dean’s heart. Here is his story.
Memories of the Hospice
“We have always been aware of the hospice from living within the Wigan borough and had previous experiences here with various family members. My Dad was brought here in early 2024 after a six week stay in hospital following a failed suicide attempt which left him with severe brain damage and other palliative issues.
When my Dad arrived at the hospice, it was a huge relief for everyone. My Mum says that when she met the hospice staff, they were the first ones to take care of her and ask her how she was doing. The doctors and nurses took the time to explain everything properly to Mum and let her ask questions, whereas in hospital she felt ignored.
The gardens and building were lovely and provided the best possible environment for my Dad during his final days. He sadly passed away on 1st March 2024, two days after he arrived here.”
Fundraising for the Hospice
“My fundraising began with a bet that spectacularly backfired on me, but in a really good way. Being a Wigan Warriors fan, I bet against my friends who are Leigh fans, that if Leigh beat Wigan this year, I would go to the Leigh vs Wigan game in July wearing a Leigh Leopards shirt with ‘#1 Leigh Fan’ written on the back. And somehow, we played them in round one and lost!
So I bought the Leigh Leopards shirt and shared on my social media that I was staying true to my word and going through with the bet. My mate Phil who is a Leigh Leopards fan commented on the post calling for donations to the Hospice in memory of Dad.
After that, a few Leigh fans replied agreeing that it was a great idea, and it grew from there. Donations started to become more frequent so I decided to set up a Just Giving page. Whilst I was doing this, I got a call from Leigh Leopards asking me to come in and collect my shirt and meet some people from the club. This was a surreal experience and I even got to meet Head Coach Adrian Lam – someone I have admired for a long time.”
The impact of the Rugby League community
“After collecting my shirt from Leigh Leopards and spending the afternoon there doing interviews and photos, I was invited to watch the Leigh vs Huddersfield game on the Sunday of that week. Before the game, I was approached by numerous Leigh fans explaining how they were following my fundraising and appreciated what I was doing.
The Leigh fans treated me as though I was one of their own, I couldn’t believe it. I was even being asked for selfies!
There is such a positive community within Rugby League. While there is rivalry and heated competition, it rarely gets heated and volatile between the fans. When people do good things for good causes, the entire community gets behind it. I was getting messages of support and donations from Leeds and Saints fans – unbelievable.”
Special memories
“What makes my fundraising journey so special and poignant is the fact that it coincided with the one year anniversary of my Dads passing. The two to three weeks where everything was happening with Leigh Leopards this year, was the same time as when he was hospitalised last year.
My fundraising journey turned the anniversary into a positive week, with experiences that I will look back on and cherish forever.”
Thank you
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone at the hospice who was involved with my Dads care last year, and for looking after my Mum so well and making us all feel welcome.
I also want to thank the Rugby League community for coming together to create something really special. We have raised over £2,600 so far which is amazing.
My fundraising is not done, so watch this space.”
We cannot thank Dean enough for his support and brilliant fundraising efforts for the hospice and can’t wait to see what he gets up to next! If you would like to donate to Dean’s Just Giving page, you can do so here.