Cambridge United stars Kelland Watts, Elias Kachunga, Zeno Ibsen Rossi, Liam Bennett and Brandon Njoku made Christmas wishes come true after meeting young fans receiving care from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH)...
The players were joined by assistant head coach Barry Corr, goalkeeper coach Martin Davies and mascot Marvin the Moose in delivering presents, signing autographs and posing for pictures after paying a visit to the charity’s Milton base.
It came hot on the heels of the U’s Giving Day for EACH, which took place when the club played Shrewsbury Town on 7th December.
As well as spending time with children receiving care, they also had chats with siblings and parents, including the family of Albie King. The two-year-old has Aicardi-Goutières syndrome and was joined by parents Mathew and Stacey.
Mathew said, “We were fortunate to meet the players at the hospice earlier this year, and it’s something that left a lasting impression on us.
“As soon we saw they were coming back, we signed up straight away, and they were brilliant once again, taking the time to chat and spend time with us.
“As a supporter, I’m proud of the Club and also thankful to everyone at EACH. The hospice is an important place for us, and we’re grateful for the care Albie receives.
“The staff are always excited to see him, which we love. He has fun here, they look after him and while people may think of a hospice as a dark, gloomy place, we know it’s full of colour and bubbliness. This event was a great example.”
Also excited to meet the players was 13-year-old Abbie Denston, who was there with mum Lisa and brothers Jake, 18, and Tyler, 10.
Abbie has a rare gene mutation which has created a number of other health complications, including epilepsy and hypertonia. She been receiving care since she was a year old and her family are regulars at Milton.
Lisa said, “The players were brilliant, asking questions, listening and wanting to know lots about Abbie.
“We had a fantastic time, and this was an example of a fun event - the kind of thing people don’t always associate with a children’s hospice.”
EACH is Cambridge’s designated charity partner for the 2024/25 season, and more than 70 family members receiving support from the charity were invited to attend the recent League One fixture against Shrewsbury, which the U’s won 4-1.
The players wore shirts bearing the charity’s logo, after BrewBoard kindly allowed their sponsorship to be foregone for the day. All shirts will be signed and auctioned in the New Year.
There was also a bucket collection outside the ground, while fans were invited to make a donation via the Club’s Just Giving page.
Striker Kachunga said, “I loved visiting the hospice and being in a position to put smiles on faces, meeting the children and talking to the people who care for them – both family members and the care team.
“As professional footballers, we know how privileged we are, and a visit of this nature really is the least we can do. It’s an important part of our jobs.
“People in the community turn out and support us, so it’s important we show up and support our community.”
Senior Corporate Fundraiser Hannah Forbester manages EACH’s relationship with the U’s.
She said, “We’ve had a brilliant year, and it’s been lovely to see our relationship with the Club grow and blossom throughout 2024.
“First we had our special sibling day, for brothers and sisters who are either bereaved or have a sibling receiving care at Milton. They loved having a tour of the ground, meeting the players and Marvin the Moose.
“After that, three of the players came to Milton to deliver kit bearing our name and logo, marking the launch of the club’s new junior and infant shirts.
“Then we had the Giving Day and now we’ve had this Christmas visit, which was brilliant and so magical for the children and families. It means so much to have such incredible support from our local football team.”
