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Footballers spread festive cheer at hospice

Shivani Chaudhari,Essexand
Victoria Polley,at St Helena Hospice
News imageRhianna Venables/BBC Football players standing with hospice staff. They are all smiling at the camera.Rhianna Venables/BBC
Colchester United players visited St Helena Hospice during the Christmas period for the second time in a row

A Christmas visit from Colchester United football players has lifted spirits at a hospice.

St Helena Hospice provides end-of-life care for patients and their families in the city.

This is the second year players and staff from Colchester United, including captain Tom Flanagan, have visited the hospice with gifts and donations.

Matron of the inpatient unit Kirsty Smith said: "It was really lovely to see them again."

Christmas can be a difficult time for the hospice and "having special moments like this around this time of year really means a lot to them", she added.

News imageRhianna Venables/BBC Goalkeeper Tom Smith sitting at a table with a man and a young boy. The men are chatting while smiling and the boy is putting stickers in a sticker book.Rhianna Venables/BBC
Goalkeeper Tom Smith was one of the players to chat with families

Flanagan said: "I was expecting something a bit down and gloomy but it's such a nice place to come, everyone is so happy.

"This is a good little thing that we do."

The team brought gifts for the children who are using the bereavement services and weighted blankets for the patients.

News imageRhianna Venables/BBC A man and a teenage girl smiling at the camera. The girl has blonde hair and is wearing a navy top. The man has a beard.Rhianna Venables/BBC
Maisy and Guy Winnard have been to every Colchester United home game this season

Colchester United fans Guy and Maisy Winnard have been supported by the hospice after a recent death in their family.

"It's a really nice place," Mr Winnard said.

"We were surprised when we came here what lovely grounds it has [and] brilliant staff who do a great job."

Maisy said of meeting the footballers: "It was exciting because I like going to the games to see them, so it was pretty cool for them to come and meet us."

News imageRhianna Venables/BBC Scarlett is wearing the blue and white striped Colchester United kit. She is leaning on a hand and smiling. She has brown hair and is sitting on a chair.Rhianna Venables/BBC
Scarlett said she was shocked to meet some of the footballers

Scarlett, 12, who is being supported by the hospice's bereavement services, said she was "very shocked" to the see the players.

She said the footballers signed her shirt during their visit and also gave her and the other children some sweets.

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