NOTTINGHAM Forest fans are being given a chance to appear in the club's team photo.
Supporters can buy a £1 ticket for a chance to line up alongside manager Stuart Pearce and his players – and raise money for a worthy cause.
The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was the idea of Chilwell couple Richard and Michelle Daniels, whose Forever Stars charity is aiming to raise £100,000 for a bereavement suite for parents at the Queen's Medical Centre.
Richard Daniels said: "Forest rang us and asked if I wanted to be on the team photo to represent the charity, but we had a chat and thought it would be better to raffle it off.
"It's a chance of a lifetime. As much as I want to do it myself I think it's too good an opportunity to miss for the charity.
"It's going to be £1 for a raffle ticket to be in the photo. We'll also have a runners-up prize of two tickets for a future home game in the corporate box."
Lifetime Forest fan Richard added: "I will be buying a few tickets myself – you never know your luck.
"To be standing next to manager Stuart Pearce is a big moment for any Forest fan. It's every supporter's dream to play for the team but this is the next best thing."
The raffle tickets are on sale now and can be purchased from the Forever Stars website (foreverstars.org) or from the customer services area at Beeston Sainsbury's – an official partner of the charity.
The photo is expected to be taken during the international break in the first week of September.
And Richard is hoping to raise around £1,000 to push the charity toward its overall target.
The couple had a stillborn baby daughter Emily in December last year and set up Forever Stars to improve facilities for other bereaved parents at the hospital.
At the moment the QMC does not have a dedicated area for bereaved parents after birth, so they often have to remain on the maternity ward.
When the couple hit their target, a state-of-the art suite with three rooms will be created.
Richard said: "When Michelle had Emily she was still in the labour suite and could heard the sound of babies and of people celebrating having a healthy baby.
"It's devastating being there. We wanted to create a haven for people to start the grieving process. We want Nottingham to set the example of how to look after bereaved parents."
Nottingham Forest's media and communications manager Ben White said: "It is a fantastic way for the club to engage with the fans, whilst supporting this season's charity partner Forever Stars, alongside BLESMA [the British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association].
"The club looks forward to working with both charities, and hopes that together we can provide much-needed funds and awareness for such worthwhile causes."
To buy a raffle ticket go to www.foreverstars.org or go to the customer service desk at Sainsbury's in Beeston.
