Sol Campbell is caught red handed!
Sol with Graham and Joseph
England international and Portsmouth FC captain Sol Campbell, visited Naomi House on Monday as part of The Premier League Creating Chances programme, to lend a hand with a campaign to help the hospice recruit volunteers.
During the visit Sol took part in activities with the children including an art session and wheelchair football.
Volunteering is a vital part of the success of Naomi House. For every member of staff there are five volunteers whose generous donation of time enables the children’s hospice to provide support to families across the central south of England.
Sol wants to encourage other people to get involved, “During my first visit to Naomi House I understood the happy positive atmosphere that exists here, which makes it a pleasure to be involved. Since that first visit I have got to know what a great place the hospice is, and how much of a difference it makes to the children and families who visit. I know all the players and the staff at Portsmouth FC support the hard work of everyone at Naomi House. I would really urge anyone who has any spare time to pick up the phone and find out how they could get involved here on a voluntary basis, after all everyone has something to offer’.
Volunteering has never been more important to the hospice than now. The current economic climate has already made its affects known to the hospice. The organisation is tightening its belt as they fight for the safe return of £5.7million that is currently frozen as a result of the Icelandic banking crisis. Every penny counts as Naomi House try to continue providing a comprehensive range of services the 220 families who visit.
“Volunteers are an essential part of team at Naomi House. There are many activities that we simply could not achieve without them..."
Professor Khalid Aziz, Chairman of Naomi House explained, “Volunteers are an essential part of team at Naomi House. There are many activities that we simply could not achieve without them. Sol has been a supporter here at Naomi House for a number of years, and has given up his own time to help us put on activities for the children. He understands at firsthand what it means to the families when he visits.”
Sol caught red handed!
The children were very excited that Sol dropped in on Monday. Several were in their Pompey FC kits, and couldn’t wait to get out in the garden to play wheelchair football. Tom Smeeth, who is 16 and has visited the hospice for several years said, “I’ve always been a big fan of Sol’s, following him from when he played at Arsenal and now at Portsmouth. It will be really cool to tell my friends that I met Sol!”
Pompey FC encourages the players, staff and their own volunteers to get involved with the work of Naomi House. The support of the club has had a very positive effect on the hospice and the children have benefited from all sorts of activities, outings and donations.
This year Portsmouth FC and their Community Department have donated in excess of £15,000 to Naomi House, which will help the hospice to provide nurses and carers for the children.
The visit was as part of the Premier League’s Creating Chances Places for Player programme, an initiative which aims to highlight the amount of work that Premier League clubs do in their local community. As part of the scheme Naomi House received a donation of £4,000.
For more information about volunteering at Naomi House visit www.naomihouse.org.uk or call Lucy Butcher on 01962 760 060.
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Notes to editors
For more information please contact Communications Manager Tina Lillington on
01962 760 060 or e-mail tina.lillington@naomihouse.org.uk
Naomi House is a purpose-built children's hospice that provides a homely environment for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, that mean that they will not live to become adults.
Situated just north of Winchester in Hampshire, we offer one-to-one palliative care that includes respite, end of life care and bereavement support to children and their families from central southern England. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It costs around £2.5 million every year to keep this service running.
Naomi House is building a new unit called jacksplace@naomihouse, a hospice for teenagers and young people. An appeal for £12million to build, equip and run jacksplace was launched in September 2007. A legacy from Jack Witham, a local businessman, of £6million was a huge boost to the appeal. Staff and supporters of Naomi House are working hard to raise the remaining £6million that is needed to complete the project. jacksplace, which will be the fourth young person’s hospice in the country, is due to be ready by the autumn of 2009, with the first young people visiting before the end of the same year.
When jacksplace is open the costs of running the charity’s two hospices will increase to £4.5million each year. With just 10% of our income coming from Government, Naomi House relies on the generosity of people in the community to continue its work. Their help and time allows us to provide these crucial care services, free of charge, to children and their families.
