15-year-old Alfie was a patient at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital over the Christmas period when the Chelsea FC team came to visit the paediatric wards. As a lifelong Blues supporter, Alfie was delighted to meet the team. Alfie has had a very tough past two years, having lost friends and classmates to the Grenfell fire and struggled with his own mental health.
Having seen the positive effect that meeting the Chelsea FC players had on Alfie, CW+ and the Chelsea FC Foundation arranged with Alfie’s family for him to have a very special, private visit to Chelsea’s training grounds at Cobham to watch the team preparing for their next match. After their training, the players came over to meet Alfie, chat to him and to take pictures. They also gave him a signed ball and shirt to take home. Alfie had a brilliant day spending time with his heroes, particularly his favourite player, Tammy Abraham. Alfie’s family told us that they saw a brighter future ahead for Alfie and expressed that experiences like this could only help him on his way.
His Grandfather Steve said, “The visit was a massive tonic for Alfie. His Mum hasn’t seen him smile so much and look so happy for a long time.”
We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Chelsea FC Foundation on the development of our CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. In October 2019, we held a workshop at Stamford Bridge with the Chelsea FC Foundation, Central North West London CAHMS team, and local young people to discuss how to improve mental health services.
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