Bolton Wanderers players and staff make Christmas visits

From the youth team up to first-team manager Ian Evatt and his senior squad, the Whites made their visits to deliver gifts and meet staff and patients.

The first-team squad split three ways to visit the children’s ward of Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton Hospice, and Derian House Children’s Hospice in Chorley.

The players handed over presents they had bought and chatted to staff and patients and those benefitting from the services being provided by each organisation.

Some of the first team players visited Bolton Hospice (Image: BWFC)

Wanderers also made a contribution to help pay for gaming consoles on the children’s ward of the hospital, which will have a long-lasting benefit for in-patients.

Manager Ian Evatt joined the players at Royal Bolton Hospital in a group that included Kieran Sadlier, whose own prematurely-born son Luca is being looked after in the hospital’s neonatal unit before hopefully heading home for Christmas.

The manager said: “These visits are an important part of the Christmas calendar for us again now that we are able to get out and about more post-Covid.

Some of the first team including Kieran Sadlier (right) and manager Ian Evatt (second from right) at Royal Bolton Hospital (Image: BWFC)

“We want to play an active role in the community, to give a little back to those who support us as a club and a team and who also need our help.

“Hopefully seeing the players raises spirits a little around Christmas for everyone requiring and connected to these outstanding local services.

“We are one club, one town, one community and following on from the success and impact of the Big Bolton Carol Concert, hopefully we have been able to bring a bit of added Christmas cheer.”

First team players, including club captain Ricardo Santos (right) at Derian House (Image: BWFC)

Club captain Ricardo Santos was among the players to visit Derian House where they were given a tour of the hospice to meet youngsters, present gifts, and join in an online football game.

“We just want these kids to have a good Christmas, have a smile on their face and keep everything positive,” he said.

“It is important to give back to the community. We’re a community club and we love to show that we care, and they are all part of the football family.”

Youth team players packing food food hampers at Urban Outreach (Image: BWFC)

The youth team squad visited Urban Outreach Bolton – a Christian charity supporting the homeless and providing food for households in crisis. They helped stack shelves and prepare food hampers for delivery across the borough this Christmas.