Rotherham United players and local young fundraiser bring joy to Bluebell Wood this Christmas

A raft of players including Jordan Hugill and Zak Jules were joined by assistant manager Dale Tonge and first team coach Richard Wood, as they took time out to meet with children and their families, as well as staff, at the much-loved hospice in North Anston and deliver some special gifts from the club.

They were joined by local fundraiser Noah Playforth, aged 7 from Maltby, who is also a massive Rotherham United fan. Noah has recently raised more than £30,000 for Bluebell Wood by running a mile a day in all conditions throughout November, smashing his target of £10,000.

His footballing heroes and Bluebell Wood staff wanted to thank him in person for his incredible fundraising effort, so he joined the team at their special festive visit to the hospice.

First Team manager Matt Hamshaw from Rotherham United said: “The visits to Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice and the Rotherham Hospice are genuinely a privilege for us to be able to attend at this time of year.

“I have always maintained that community is at the heart of everything that we do at Rotherham United and there is no more important time to reaffirm that stance than at Christmas.

“I have been fortunate enough to see the amazing work that these charities do first-hand through my long association with the town and this club, but also had the chance to meet the countless inspiring individuals associated with them.

“I want our connection to places like Bluebell Wood to be as strong as they can be and the feedback from the players and staff has once again been that of amazement in terms of the incredible service that they provide for our community.

“On behalf of everyone at the football club, I would once again like to thank the staff, volunteers, the children and their families for such a warm welcome.”

Ashleigh Playforth, Noah’s mum, said: “We chose to support Bluebell Wood because it’s a local hospice that means so much to so many families. Becoming parents makes you look at places like this differently - you appreciate just how important their care is, and we wanted to give something back.

“The public response has honestly been incredible. Seeing our community come together with so much kindness, encouragement and pride for a seven-year-old boy has meant more than we can ever say. We’ve felt so grateful and humbled, and we’re unbelievably proud of Noah and the difference he’s trying to make.

“Meeting the Rotherham United players has also been a really special part of this journey - first at Noah’s final run, and now again during their visit to Bluebell Wood.

"Their support and the time they’ve given to Noah has meant a lot.

"He’s absolutely football-mad, so having professional players cheer him on and recognise what he’s achieved has been incredibly exciting for him, it’s something he’ll always remember.”

Sarah Duffy, head of family support at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, said: “We are so thankful to the players and staff of Rotherham United for coming to visit us once again and to meet with Noah who has done something truly incredible for us recently with his fundraising efforts.

“It always puts a huge smile on the face of our children, young people, their families and staff to meet the team who bring lots of positivity and warmth to the hospice and we are so very grateful. Thank you to Rotherham United and, Noah and his family, for joining us.”

Bluebell Wood, which opened in 2008, cares for babies, children and young people from across South Yorkshire, North Nottinghamshire, North Derbyshire and parts of North Lincolnshire whose lives are sadly just too short, both in their own homes and at the hospice.

In addition to clinical care services, it provides a home-from-home for families facing the toughest of times. The team also supports other health care providers in the community and in local hospitals.

It costs almost £6.7m each year to keep the hospice running, with around just 17 per cent of funding coming from government and the remaining 83 percent generated by fundraising.

All services are completely free to families who are referred to Bluebell Wood.

For information about the work of the hospice and how to support it, please visit www.bluebellwood.org