Burton Albion visit lifts spirits for patients and staff at Queen’s Hospital Burton

Players and coaching staff  from Burton Albion Football Club’s men’s and women’s teams paid a special visit to Queen’s Hospital Burton this month, helping to brighten the day for patients and staff in the lead-up to the festive season.

The visit saw representatives from the club spend time on the children’s ward and ward 6, which supports patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. During the visit, the group chatted with patients, posed for photos, and handed out gifts for patients being cared for in hospital. 

As well as spending time with patients, Burton Albion also delivered hampers to hospital staff as a thank you for their dedication and hard work in supporting the local community throughout the year. 

The visit was arranged and led by Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity as part of its ongoing work to enhance the experience of patients, families and staff across University Hospitals of Derby & Burton NHS Foundation Trust. 

Following their visit, Burton Albion also very kindly made a donation to support the children’s department and offered free match tickets to hospital staff, further demonstrating their continued commitment to the local community. 

Jill Matthews, Chief Officer at Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity, said:

“Visits like this really do make a difference. Being in hospital can be challenging at any time of year, and seeing a familiar local club give up time to visit, bring gifts and say thank you to staff means so much to everyone involved. We are incredibly grateful to Burton Albion for their generosity, not only for spending time with our patients and staff, but also for their kind donation and their ongoing support of our children’s services.” 

Finn Delap, Football player at Burton Albion Football Club, said:

“It’s an amazing feeling, giving back to the community, especially going into the hospital like that and seeing all the kids’ faces light up. Being in hospital isn’t a nice feeling so for us to go in there and give back to them is something so little to us but means the world to them. I think that’s why it’s so special.”

Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity works alongside community partners to fund projects and initiatives that go above and beyond NHS funding, helping to improve care, comfort and wellbeing for patients and staff across local hospitals. 

For more information about Derby & Burton Hospitals Charity and how we’re supporting patients and staff this Christmas, please visit our news page News and Features – DBHC