Families of killed soldiers Darren Deady and Lee Rigby come together for charity football match

The family and friends of Darren Deady and Lee Rigby have come together to play a charity football match to raise money for veterans and their families.

The match took place on Sunday 21 August in Bolton.

Serving soldiers and veterans from all across the country took part in the match to raise funds for both The Lee Rigby Foundation and The Darren Deady Foundation.

The Darren Deady foundation gives veterans a helping hand to get back on their feet, by offering them a place to stay and helping them to gain access to whatever other support they may need. Julia Hill, Darren's mum, said: "I have veterans at the moment living with me because they're homeless so I take them in and then we find them suitable accommodation."The Lee Rigby foundation supports families of bereaved soldiers to have time away so that they can start to build new memories and heal.

Lyn Rigby, Lee's mum said: "When Lee died we couldn't be as a family because obviously it was a high profile murder and I spoke to many other families that lost loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan and they just basically was the same."

Who are Darren Deady and Lee Rigby?

Darren Deady, from Bolton, was shot in Afghanistan in 2010.

He died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on 10 September the same year, aged 22.

Fusilier Lee Rigby, from Middleton in Greater Manchester, was killed outside his barracks in Woolwich in 2013.

Lee, then 25, was murdered by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale who are now serving life sentences.

Darren's family are planning to set up a centre to offer accommodation and support for veterans in need.The council has offered a building but the Foundation needs £30,000 to refurbish it and set up services.

More than 500 people attended the match and they managed to raise three thousand pounds but so far that's a drop in the bucket for the 30,000 that they need.For the families, Football is not just a way to get everyone together it's also a way to heal.

If you would like to know more about the fundraising efforts click here.