THE SAMSON CENTRE - GUILDFORD
John Hambly was captain of the 1st XV in the early 1990’s when Actonians RFC was nominated as Rugby World’s Team of the Year after a long run of success and promotion.
He was one of the best back row players the club has had to date. John represented Cornwall before moving to London after qualifying as a Chartered Surveyor in 1988.

In 1999 John was diagnosed with relapsing and remitting MS (Multiple Sclerosis). A huge bomb shell for a young man with 4 small kids. John however continued to work as a surveyor until 2007, and managed to keep a hand in at his beloved A’s. Most importantly he set up the Samson Centre in Guildford which is a facility & charity primarily for people with MS. John has worked with huge enthusiasm and commitment to build the Samson Centre into a high tech facility to treat people with this debilitating disease.

Actonians RFC has been a major supporter of John’s charity work and held a number of events, matches and even a TV show to help raise funds for the Samson Centre. Jason Leonard, Lawrence Dallaglio, Zin Zan Brooke, Richard Kinsey, Scott Quinnell etc to name but a few who have been able to contribute to this cause over the last few years.

In August 2014, a group including a number of older Old Actonians canoed the non-tidal, navigable River Thames and raised £36k.

Again in May 2017 the same bunch of canoeing idiots raised a further £9k for the Samson Centre, this time by canoeing the length of the Great Glen in Scotland.