A sport and social club has set to work building a new stand in honour of one of its long-serving volunteers.

Beccles Caxton FC launched an appeal to build the Gary Knights Stand and played a memorial match in his name to raise money for it in June.

Mr Knights died of cancer in 2013 aged 50 and had been involved with the club for many years.

And now the first bricks have been laid and the club committee have started the first phase of work.

Committee member Mark Carter said: “We’ve had 2,000 concrete bricks delivered and a lot of the manual labour is going to be done by the committee.

“An associate of the club is a builder and he’s kindly doing a lot of work for us as well.”

About £1,400 was raised from the memorial match, and the club is still crowdfunding to raise the estimated £3,500 needed to build the stand, but they are determined to see it finished.

“We knew it would be a fitting tribute, and the thought of seeing Gary’s name on the stand is pushing us on,” said Mr Carter.

“We made a promise to his family that it would be ready in time for the next Gary Knights memorial match and we’re working weekends, evenings, whatever time we have got spare to get it done.

“If people wanted to come and lend a hand that would be great.”

And to further boost funds, Mr Carter will be walking Hadrian’s Wall next week.

He hopes to raise £840 towards the stand by walking the 840 miles of the wall over four days, starting next Friday, September 2.

He will be doing the walk with three other men who are raising money for local good causes.

He said: “The manager of the Caxton first team Scott Crowson is taking us up to Scotland and coming back to pick us up.”

Mr Carter is no stranger to charity hikes, having completed the Three Peaks Challenge and a 192-mile coast to coast walk.

“Hadrian’s Wall is not the first thing I’ve done for charity and it won’t be the last - I’m really looking forward to it. It’s always a challenge no matter how many you’ve done before.”

To support the appeal, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/caxtonfootball or to sponsor Mr Carter, visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/markshikeforgarysstand.

To get in touch with the club about helping build the stand, search Beccles Caxton FC on Facebook or call Mr Cater on 07585602914.