Christmas is now just around the corner, Santa will soon be on his way and at Stockport County we’ve been helping to spread festive joy around the town in recent weeks with the help of our fantastic players, and our resident bear!
The Club’s Christmas project for 2022 has seen us venture out into the wider community to visit some of those less fortunate, who have not been able to celebrate the festive season from home this year.
Earlier this week, ten of the Club’s first-team players, along with Santa, Vernon Bear and Club President Steve Bellis, went to visit the Treehouse paediatric unit at Stepping Hill Hospital – handing out presents and spending time chatting and playing with each of the 27 children on the ward.
The Treehouse unit plays a fundamental role at Stepping Hill Hospital, offering community and acute care to children up to the age of 16 who need assessment or admission for either unplanned illness or for planned surgery or investigations.
The children who are currently on the ward are aged from 4 weeks up to 15 years, and the visit off the players provided patients, parents and staff with a much needed Christmas boost!
Ruth Whitehouse, Deputy Manager of the Treehouse Unit said
“Stockport County are really fantastic supporters of the Treehouse Unit and this festive visit was a joy for all the children. Interacting and giving presents to our children was another example of their amazing kindness and generosity. We’d all like to send them a big thank you and a Merry Christmas from us all!”
Ernie, aged 2, said:
“I liked it because the footballers dressed as a reindeers and elves. And a big brown bear came too. and Santa brought me a Spider-Man, yes he did!”
The Treehouse Unit is such an important part of part of the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, particularly at this time of year. The ward is currently trying to fundraise up to £10,000, in order to build a brand new parents’ room, for parents and carers staying in hospital with sick children.
Having somewhere for parents and carers to take a break, have space to make phone calls, or just simply have a hot drink is vital for their own well-being whilst within the hospital setting. Seeing your child unwell, and in hospital, is a stressful and overwhelming time and the hospital want to ensure that parents and carers find time to look after themselves too.
The room will include a rest and restore space, a kitchen area and table and chair area to sit and eat their own meals. As well as a microwave, kettle and culinary equipment e.g. cutlery, plates, mugs.
As a Club we will be supporting the campaign this Christmas, and we ask all supporters who are able and would like to donate something towards this themselves, to do so on their JustGiving page via the link below.
We then headed back to Edgeley Park to team up with the County Community Trust for a special event, as we invited local families down to the ground to meet some of their favourite players.
The event, kindly funded by Stockport MBC Household Fund, saw the children (and some parents!) have the opportunity to interact and get pictures with their Edgeley Park heroes, as well as get their shirts and merchandise signed.
Each family were then presented with a specially made Christmas Hamper, full of essentials, gifts and treats to help support them over the Christmas period, at what is a difficult time for everyone right now during the cost of living crisis.
50 hampers were made in total, benefiting up to 200 adults and children. The hampers were created by the CCT team, with help from the brilliant students at Heaton School (pictured below).
Matthew Bailey, Partnerships Manager, said:
“The CCT work closely with our local schools to identify current key needs and understand how we can make a positive impact in our community. This week has really highlighted this and to receive the feedback already from some of families is extremely pleasing. I would like thank Stockport MBC Household Fund for allowing us to support the families with the hampers”.
Dave Wardle, Community Trust Manager, said:
“We were delighted to invite local families to Edgeley Park this week to give them the opportunity to meet some of our Players, Father Christmas and of course our very own Vernon! We also gave each family a Christmas Hamper to take home and support them over the festive period. We are very keen to ensure we can continue helping families in the local area through a challenging and difficult period and have plans in place already to increase this further in 2023”.
One of the Parents attending said:
“I just wanted to say a massive thanks to you all at SCFC for last night. My girls were absolutely over the moon with the surprise and I’m sure they will cherish the memories made forever”.
