Sinfield backs Headingley’s charity Northern Soul festival

Leeds Rhinos‘ Headingley stadium will be hosting a charity soul music event on May 3, and club skipper Kevin Sinfield is giving the event his enthusiastic backing.

The event is being organised by the Yorkshire-based charity, Charity Soul, which was founded in 2013 by Norther Soul fan Terry Hopkinson, as a response to the death of a close friend from cancer.

Hopkinson made it his aim to raise a million pounds for front line cancer research, with the help of his contacts and friends in the Northern Soul community.

All the money raised is set to go to acclaimed researcher Professor Norman Maitland, who works with his team of scientists at York University.

“From speaking to the Charity Soul team there is a strong feeling of a community and it is great to see them pulling together through their shared love of music to support Professor Maitland and his researchers,” said Sinfield.

“Many of us will be affected in some way by cancer during our lives and Charity Soul and their supporters are doing a fantastic job in helping raise vital money to help find a cure for the disease.”

Hopkinson is keen that the money raised will go towards helping the discovery of a cure for prosate cancer.

“We wanted to make sure every pound of our donation would go directly to helping find a cure for prostate cancer and after extensive research we identified acclaimed Professor Norman Maitland, who is conducting pioneering stem cell research into the disease at York University,” he explained.

“After meeting Professor Maitland and his team we decided this was the project we would support.”

Professor Norman Maitland is delighted that his work will now receive a funding boost, thanks to the event at Headingley.

“We are extremely grateful to Charity Soul for their support, the money they raise will fund a team of ten researchers for a year,” he said.

“Our scientists work in the area of cancer stem cells, which is a relatively new and exciting area of research. 

“Current treatments for prostate cancer are like using weed killer that kills the weed but the weed can grow back. 

“What we are doing is the same as ‘Roundup’, kill the cancer at the roots and then we kill the leaves then the cancer can’t grow back.”

The event will begin at 4pm and will finish at midnight. Tickets are £10 (+£1.50 booking fee) and are on sale from the Leeds Rugby Ticket Office on 0871 423 13 15 (calls cost 10p and mobile rates vary) or they can also be bought from Nige on 07957 465 223.