Young football fans were given a special treat when players from Walsall Football Club paid a visit to Acorns Children’s Hospice.

Saddlers stars, Cameron Norman and Mat Sadler, took a break from training to spend time with children, families, staff and volunteers at Acorns in the Black Country.

The club, which announced Acorns as one of its charity partners for the 2019/2020 season, is backing an urgent £2million fundraising appeal to save the Walsall-based hospice from closure. Walsall FC defender, Cameron Norman, said:

“It was a really eye-opening day spending time at the hospice. The work everyone does at the hospice for all of the families and children that spend time there is amazing.

“It was great to meet the children using the hospice and to be able to spend time with them and put smiles on their faces with the games we played with them.

“Acorns Children’s Hospice is a very special place and deserves all of the help and support they can get to keep helping more children and families in the future.”

Teammates Cameron and Mat were given a tour of the hospice’s specialist facilities and met with children and families enjoying outdoor activities in the hospice gardens, before taking part in a game of boules and a craft session. Noel Cramer, Director of Supporter Engagement at Acorns, said:

“It was an absolute pleasure to welcome Saddlers players Cameron Norman and Mat Saddler to our Black Country hospice. It’s always great to show our charity partners what we do but having the players here really helped create some special memories for the children and families at the hospice today.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Club and their supporters for their ongoing support and for standing shoulder to shoulder with us in our fight to safeguard the longer-term future of our hospice in Walsall. We look forward to working more closely with the club in the future and building on this exciting partnership.”

The Save Acorns Black Country Children’s Hospice Appeal was launched by Acorns in July, following the lifeline provided by new funding commitments from the NHS locally and nationally. The appeal needs to raise £2 million to safeguard the long-term future of the Walsall hospice and to fund the care provided there to children and families until the full amount of new Government funding is reached.

For more information and to donate towards the Appeal, please visit acorns.org.uk/appeal.