It’s the countdown to Christmas and there is no better way to start the festive celebrations than with a special surprise visit from Chelsea Football Club, who came to spread some cheer on our children’s wards at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
The team visited our young patients and their families at Chelsea and Westminster, only a short walk from Stamford Bridge, where they handed over presents, signed autographs and posed for pictures with the thrilled children, families and staff on the wards.
Club Manager Frank Lampard joined the visit commenting “We know the great work they do here. My youngest daughter was actually born here so I know first-hand the care and the attention they give and the hours they do, including periods like Christmas when some people are off. If we can make a tiny bit of difference with a bit of happiness, we are just happy to be here with some gifts or to say hello and hopefully bring some smiles to faces.”
At the end of the visit, Lampard and the team presented the hospital with some additional gifts on behalf of the squad including PlayStations, televisions and more. Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta believes it is a vital contribution for footballers at this time of year, saying: “We know the little details can make people happy, with our resources we thought about this possibility to help the hospital to have these gifts, which they can share with the patients and help with their time in hospital. It is not nice to be here but we know sometimes people have to go through these periods and from our part, we want to help as much as possible.”
Trust Chief Executive Lesley Watts added: “A big thank you from myself and the whole team at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital to the Chelsea FC team, who have spent the afternoon with our young patients and their families. It is a wonderful thing to see the faces of our children light up when they see their footballing heroes. Fun was had by all.”
Once again, we’d like to thank Chelsea FC and the Chelsea Foundation for helping to organise this visit. The festive season can be a challenging time for hospital staff and their patients, so to receive a surprise visit at this time, makes the lead up to Christmas that more magical.
© 2023