Players and coaches from Tottenham Hotspur’s men’s and women’s teams visited five hospitals across London and Essex to deliver presents and spend time with children on the wards.
Whipps Cross Hospital, Barnet Hospital, Whittington in Archway, North Middlesex, and Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow were all included in the visits.
Molly Bartrip, Eveliina Summanen, Luana Buhler, and Araya Dennis visited Whipps Cross.
Ms Bartrip said: “It’s important that we show our presence in the community.
“It’s about giving back – all we want is for them to have a smile on their face this Christmas, and hopefully we played a small part in that.”
Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha visited North Middlesex Hospital, where a young Tottenham fan was “moved to tears” by their arrival.
Cristian Romero, Rodrigo Bentancur, Brennan Johnson, and Ben Davies visited Barnet Hospital.
Davies said: “We’re incredibly lucky to be in the position that we’re in, so it’s important that we try and do what we can to put some smiles on the faces of the families that are currently facing a difficult festive period.”
Joao Palhinha, who joined the North Middlesex visit, said: “For me personally it is important as a player to have these appearances, not just for myself but also for my teammates who have joined in other visits this week.”
James Maddison, Brandon Austin, and Archie Gray visited Harlow’s Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Maddison said: “It’s always nice to have that moment with the kids and their parents, especially at this time of year, and to be able to lift their day.”
At Whittington Hospital, Matilda Vinberg, Lize Kop, and Amanda Nilden were joined by Tottenham Hotspur Women’s head coach Martin Ho.
Mr Ho said: “It absolutely puts things into perspective, and that is why as a playing group and a staffing group we have come to show our love and support to these families.
“We have a wonderful job in what we do, and we want to show as a club and as a team that we are here for these families during a difficult time in their lives.”
Tottenham Hotspur is based in one of London’s most deprived areas and has a long-standing commitment to supporting vulnerable people in the community, especially during the festive season.
The club also supports food banks and this week delivered club-donated items to foodbanks as part of its Christmas campaign.
Tottenham Hotspur Women’s players recently visited a local care home to spend time with elderly residents in an effort to combat loneliness during the holidays.
Spurs’ mascots Chirpy and Lily also visited one of Great Ormond Street Hospital’s Christmas parties this week to spend time with families around the festive period.
