An Ipswich Town fan has donated more than half his £50,000 prize win to the club's foundation to help disabled supporters at games.

Steve Kirby, from Essex, has donated £26,000 to the Ipswich Town Foundation, after seeing all the good work they do for the community.

Mr Kirby won the £50,000 prize money after entering a competition with Vodafone in June, where you could win the money to spend on local schools, sports clubs and charities.

He has been a fan of Ipswich Town since 1979 and still has a season ticket with the club, going with his mum, who is disabled, and sitting in the disabled section.

Ipswich Star: Steve Kirby (3rd from left) with Kieran McKenna (2nd from left) and the chequeSteve Kirby (3rd from left) with Kieran McKenna (2nd from left) and the cheque (Image: Ipswich Town Foundation)

The 51-year-old said: "Since sitting in the disabled section, I've got quite friendly with the disabled liaison officer, Lee Smith, who is one of the inspirations for this money going to the club, because I know he struggles to get things for some of the disabled fans.

"This led to me talking to the foundation and the amount of money we could put in and improve people's lives."

He also praised the section he sits in, Section D4, which he says is now a "very close group" and another of the reasons he has donated to the Foundation.

With the money, Mr Kirby has said the club has bought 100 sensory packs, such as noise-cancelling headphones and stress balls for those with autism and people who suffer from anxiety.

Ipswich Star: Steve Kirby meeting Marcus Harness and other playersSteve Kirby meeting Marcus Harness and other players (Image: Ipswich Town Foundation)

They have also bought headsets for people who are partially sighted so they can have commentary throughout games, disabled benches in the fan zone, and even giant inflatables for the fan zone.

Mr Kirby also said that a lot of the donation money will go into the community.

Along with the Ipswich Town Foundation, Mr Kirby has donated money to eleven different foundations and charities so far including schools, elderly people's homes and a table tennis club in Norwich.

Ipswich Star: Steve Kirby meeting some of the players at Playford RoadSteve Kirby meeting some of the players at Playford Road (Image: Ipswich Town Foundation)

He has also funded a disabled athletics club in Chelmsford for five years, paid for swimming lessons for all pupils at a school local to Mr Kirby after they lost the lessons and bought equipment for a club that looks after people with Down Syndrome.

Mr Kirby has been invited to Portman Road for hospitality before a game and also to Playford Road, the club's training ground, where he met the team, watched them train and even had lunch with the team and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna.

Ahead of the Fleetwood Town game on Friday, December 2, he will be present on the pitch to present the check to the Foundation.

Ipswich Star: Steve Kirby with mum and Ipswich manager Kieran McKennaSteve Kirby with mum and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna (Image: Ipswich Town Foundation)