Published on: Tuesday 18 Dec 2018 at 12:25
Youngsters from West Ham football club bring tidings of joy to the Hospice!
On Monday 17th December footballers from West Ham’s under 23 team paid a visit to St Clare to bring some festive cheer to our patients on the Inpatient Unit and those visiting the Day Centre. They also brought a £1,000 donation to the Hospice, which they had raised throughout the year.
In total, 20 members of the West Ham F.C. team visited, which also included five members of staff. Four footballers visited the hospice’s charity shop in Harlow where they helped sort out donated clothes. The others, who stayed at the Hospice, took part in a carol service on the Inpatient Unit, and got stuck in helping to spruce up the Hospice by sweeping the patio.
Sarah Thompson, Chief Executive of St Clare Hospice, said: “We’re very grateful for the support of the West Ham team and it was wonderful to see them bringing some festive cheer to our patients.
“The generous donation of £1,000 to the Hospice could run our 24 hour advice line for more than the 12 days of Christmas. As all of our services are free of charge, and most of our funding comes from voluntary donations, we rely on our local community to help us raise money each year so we can continue being there for local families facing one of the most difficult journeys in life.”
Liam Manning, Under 23 coach at West Ham F.C., said: “It was a humbling experience for our footballers to come and help today; seeing the strength and courage of the patients and the dedication of all the staff we met has been a profound experience that will hopefully stay with them. It was also a lot of fun singing and joining in with the hard work that goes on here.
“At West Ham football club we are committed to making a difference to people in our community and raising awareness of the important work that local charities, such as St Clare Hospice, are doing to help people when they need it most. Hopefully our visit today has done exactly that.”
Join the St Clare family!
For more information on volunteering opportunities at St Clare Hospice, please visit:www.stclarehospice.org.uk/volunteer
Alternatively, please contact St Clare Hospice’s Voluntary Services Manager, Rob Wallace, on 01279 773722 or email rob.wallace@stclarehospice.org.uk