AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth went to spread some Christmas cheer at Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Poole dedicated to bringing comfort and care to terminally ill children and their families.
Eddie Howe, a patron of the charity, took members of his squad to the hospice with a range of different Christmas presents to give out to patients.
The afternoon was spent getting to know the residents and the likes of Dominic Solanke and Jack Stacey even spent time playing Fifa with some of the children.
The youngsters were able to chat to their heroes, pose for photos and get autographs as they enjoyed their new presents with the squad.
During the visit, Cherries boss Eddie Howe spoke with afcbTV about the hospice and how special it is to spend time with the patients.
“It’s a really nice afternoon,” Howe began.
“The charity is very close to my heart, so the chance to visit the kids and their families is really special. I think it’s a really nice thing to do at this time of year, just to give a bit back. It’s something that the boys and girls here can talk about for a long time.
“The chance for the players to see what goes on in a charity like this is great and it’s great to spend time with everyone here and the staff too.
“There’s a lot of familiar faces here, some big Cherries supporters too. It’s nice to share stories with them, talk about the team and all the things that normal supporters want to talk about.
“It’s nice to see where they come and what they do here because there’s some brilliant work that goes on. Around this time of year, its special for so many but it can be difficult for some families, so it’s great to give them a lift.”
AFC Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham also spoke about the experience and its importance.
“It seems a really warm place and one that is full of smiles,” he said.
“There’s no better feeling than to make a small difference to someone’s day. It’s only a small thing for us but it goes a long way for the kids, it makes you feel really good coming away that you’ve made a difference.
“It has always been a family club and has a good connection with the community, so this is just one of the many good things that Bournemouth do.”
Our visit to Julia’s House was published as Day 11 of our Cherries Advent Calendar. Watch it in full below.
Day 11 of our #CherriesAdventCalendar ❤️️
— AFC Bournemouth (@afcbournemouth) December 11, 2019
Always an absolute privilege for us to visit @Julias_House 😍 pic.twitter.com/OUYTIPk6oa
