Millwall Football Club players visited a hospital ward in Lewisham to deliver Christmas cheer and gifts to children and adults with cancer.
Last week, players and club staff brought sacks of presents for an afternoon of playing Santa at University Hospital Lewisham (UHL).
Gifts included official club pennants, water bottles and soft toys of Millwall’s mascot, Zampa – as well as the chance to take photos. One member of staff even treated the Millwall players to a bespoke Millwall Christmas song.
The first stop for the team was the children’s wards, where many young patients undergoing cancer treatment will be spending Christmas. Players also met with adult patients in Suite 8 at UHL which specialises in cancer care.
One of the adult patients they met, Joseph Tsarigarides, said the visit gave him ‘the boost’ he needed.
“I was feeling down and was about to call the Macmillan Support Line, but the players walked in and picked me up.
“This visit lifted my spirits,” he added, “Thank you, Millwall.”
Billy Mitchell, Millwall Midfielder, explained: “Christmas is about giving and spending time with loved ones and some people in hospital haven’t got that opportunity at the minute.
“We thought we’d come down and try and raise some spirits, give a bit of Christmas cheer and speak to some of the children and adults alike, give out a few gifts and hopefully put some smiles on their faces.”
The Trust Charity is inviting local communities to give a gift to the young patients at University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital who are too ill to go home and spend Christmas with their families.
Donations can include new toys in the original packaging such as baby toys, educational toys, arts and crafts sets, board games and toiletries gift sets. They are unable to accept cuddly toys and ask that anyone donating gifts not wrap them.
Toys can be dropped off at University Hospital Lewisham and Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s main reception, between 10 am and 3 pm every day until 22 December.