Young football fans were given a special treat when two top Saddlers players paid a visit to Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Walsall Football Club's Cameron Norman and Mat Sadler took a break from training to spend time with children, families, staff and volunteers today (Thursday, September 19).
The club, which announced Acorns as one of its charity partners for the 2019/2020 season, is backing an urgent £2million fundraising appeal to save the Walsall-based hospice from closure.
Teammates Cameron and Mat were given a tour of the hospice’s specialist facilities and met with children and families enjoying outdoor activities in the hospice gardens, before taking part in a game of boules and a craft session - as can be seen in the video above .
“It was a really eye-opening day spending time at the hospice," Cameron said.
"The work everyone does at the hospice for all of the families and children that spend time there is amazing.
“It was great to meet the children using the hospice and to be able to spend time with them and put smiles on their faces with the games we played with them.
"Acorns Children’s Hospice is a very special place and deserves all of the help and support they can get to keep helping more children and families in the future.”
Noel Cramer, Acorns' director of supporter engagement, added: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Saddlers players Cameron Norman and Mat Saddler to our Black Country hospice. It’s always great to show our charity partners what we do but having the players here really helped create some special memories for the children and families at the hospice today.
“We’re extremely grateful to the club and their supporters for their ongoing support and for standing shoulder to shoulder with us in our fight to safeguard the longer-term future of our hospice in Walsall.
“We look forward to working more closely with the club in the future and building on this exciting partnership.”
The Save Acorns Black Country Children’s Hospice Appeal was launched in July, following the lifeline provided by new funding commitments from the NHS locally and nationally.
But £2 million must be raised to safeguard the long-term future of the Walsall hospice and to fund the care provided there to children and families until the full amount of new Government funding is reached.
The charity has been overwhelmed by the generosity of supporters, who have helped to raise more than £219,624.14 since the appeal launched on July 19 - including eight-year-old Abigail Gill, who held a lemonade sale outside her Perry Barr home and Dave Thomas, from Dudley, who spent 24 hours in a bath of baked beans.
For more information and to donate towards the appeal, visit www.acorns.org.uk/appeal .
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