Ben’s testimonial year is also proudly supporting two local charities, the 4Ed Foundation and the Sam Polledri Foundation.

The 4Ed Foundation is very close to Ben’s heart following former teammate Ed Slater’s MND diagnosis, and the Sam Polledri Foundation was established when Jake’s brother, Sam, sadly and suddenly passed away from a cardiac arrest last year.

We are planning an exciting year of events in 2023/24, which we know you will love.

Ed Slater was a second-row forward who played for Leicester from 2010 to 2017 (and as club captain for the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons) and then for Gloucester Rugby from 2017 until his sudden retirement in July 2022. Ed, a great favourite with the Kingsholm crowd, was capped four times for England.

At the age of 34, Ed Slater announced his diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and his immediate retirement from rugby. The 4Ed campaign has been created to raise awareness and funds in support of Ed and his family’s battle with the disease.

Sam Polledri, much-loved brother of Gloucester and Italy rugby player, Jake, suddenly and tragically passed away of a Cardiac Arrest in Millennium Square, Bristol, on the 26th Feb 2022, aged only 24.

In his memory, the Sam Polledri Foundation (through Great Western Air Ambulance Charity) has been established with the aim of installing public access defibrillators in as many places as possible. 

Every year in the UK 30,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. For every minute that passes, a person’s chance of survival goes down by 10%. Sadly, only 1 in 10 survive.

Right now, only 40% of people receive early CPR and fewer than 2% have a defibrillator used prior to the ambulance arrival. If a defibrillator is used within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest survival rates jump from 6% to 74%’. There were no wall-mounted/registered defibrillators near Sam, he wasn’t given the chance to survive.

All monies raised through the Sam Polledri Foundation (through GWAAC) will fund public access defibrillators, ensuring that anyone who suffers an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has someone nearby who knows how to perform CPR and has an AED within a 3-minute walk.