Worksop: Tigers give children’s ward a Christmas boost

Staff and patients at Bassetlaw Hospital’s children’s ward got an extra Christmas boost with a visit by players, staff and supporters from Worksop Town FC
Players and staff from Worksop Town visited the Bassetlaw Hospital Childrens Ward to hand out Christmas presents and a new television for the wardPlayers and staff from Worksop Town visited the Bassetlaw Hospital Childrens Ward to hand out Christmas presents and a new television for the ward
Players and staff from Worksop Town visited the Bassetlaw Hospital Childrens Ward to hand out Christmas presents and a new television for the ward

Tigers boss Mark Shaw, players Laurence Gaughan, Tom Denton, Alex Pursehouse and Jake Scott, club staff and supporters club members all took time out from chasing the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League title, to visit the ward and handed out presents to the young patients, a new television to the ward and spend time chatting with patients and hospital staff.

Prior to Christmas, the club had raised just over £300 to buy presents for the children’s ward and Mr Shaw said the visit had been a great success for all parties and it further highlighted the club’s desire to be an integral part of the community.

“Things like this are all part of the continued effort to ensure that Worksop Town is there for the community and not just there to play football,” he said.

“We want to play a big part in the Worksop community and we want people to know that the football club is there for them to help and support in any way it can.”

“Be it visits like this to the hospital or local schools, if people need our help and want us to help them with anything in the community, then we want to be there to give that help.”

“We have had numerous schemes in place this season such as free tickets for children to games and it all helps bring the club and the community closer together.”

“I think the hospital visit really opened the eyes of the players who went and many of the staff too and I think they all got a lot out of it as much as the kids were handing presents to did.”

“We got an email a day or so later from a parent of one of the children we saw there saying how much they as parents appreciated us visiting the ward as much as the children did.”

People forget that with children in hospital, their parents are going through just as tough and worrying a time and these people had been in for a while with their little baby and they had found us going there a real boost.”

“I read out the email to the team before our game on Boxing Day and it meant a lot to the players too.”