A FORMER Southampton striker thrilled 75 families with a day at Marwell Zoo as part of his fundraising efforts to build a community hub to help children with disabilities.

Many will remember Nicky Banger, 52, playing up front for Saints in the Premier League, but nowadays he's the chief executive of children’s charity The Knights Foundation.

The charity provides support and equipment to disabled children, while also offering families sensory experience days and holidays throughout the year, all paid for by the charity.

On Wednesday morning, Nicky and his wife Stephanie visited Marwell Zoo in Colden Common with families supported by the charity, as they look to open a lodge in the city that would be inclusive for young people with learning disabilities.

Nicky told the Echo: “Today we’ve been given a brand-new car which has been donated to us by Tony Beal from Beal’s Estate Agents and Michael Nobes who owns the Richmond Motor Group.  

“We’re at Marwell Zoo and we’ve got 75 families here who we bought tickets for to be able to go to Marwell and be able to enjoy that experience. 

“We’re raffling the car off on December 18, and we’re hoping people will buy tickets through our website with the money going towards a community hub where families with special needs children can come to an inclusive coffee shop which would have wheelchair-friendly tables.  

Daily Echo: Ex Saints striker raising money to support children with disabilities

“They can come at 12 years old and receive work experience because a lot of children with special needs can’t earn pocket money so they would be able to come to that safe environment.  

“More importantly, it’s to educate and support these families so that when their children get to 18, we can create a virtual office where they can come and be employed by businesses that don’t have accessible toilets, don’t have good car parking, but they still have an equal opportunity to get employed.  

“That’s really why we’re here and what our vision is going forward.”

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The charity is close to Nicky’s heart, as his daughter Sophia is a youth ambassador.

He explained: “Stephanie and I became parents of a child with special needs. Sophia was born 2lbs 3oz, three months premature and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

“I guess the journey that you go through as a mum and a dad is a different experience.

“As parents you start realising how difficult it is, whether it’s everyday life or the cost of specialist equipment you might need.

“We wanted to make sure Sophia had the opportunity to be independent, live her own life independently and earn her own money so, the motivation of that whole journey from diagnosis to independence is to support families the best we can.”  

Should you wish to support the charity, raffle tickets can be purchased from: https://go.rallyup.com/6c10ca/Campaign/Details