BURTON Albion players were in festive good spirits as the Pirelli Stadium hosted the second Donna Louise Christmas party.
The Donna Louise Children’s Hospice supports youngsters with life-limiting disorders and their families.
The party, which is held in partnership with the Burton Albion Community Trust, gives families in Burton, who struggle to get over to the Donna Louise Children’s Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent, the chance to enjoy a Christmas get together.
Chris Balyavin, from Donna Louise, said the partnership with BACT is huge for the charity.
“The partnership is great, this is coming to the end of the second year of our partnership with Burton Albion and the Burton Albion Community Trust.
“I think, without a shadow of a doubt, this partnership has helped to raise our profile in this area, which has led to support from local businesses and local groups, so it has been a fantastic partnership that has really benefited us.
“It has been great fun and I really hope that it is a partnership that we can develop and grow.
“One added bonus about an event like this is that our families in Burton get to meet some of the Burton Albion players.
“It has been a great year. We have recently ‘broken ground’ to start building our new Young Adults Centre alongside our Hospice in Stoke.
“It means that we will no longer be sending our young people into what is called transition at the age of 19, which is the change from children’s services to adult services, which is just a big period of uncertainty for them.
“That will take about a year to build, so the end of this year is kicking-off a really exciting time for the Donna Louise. It is great news for the charity, great news for our families and it is great that our partnership with Burton Albion is a big part of these developments.”
Matt Hancock, Head of Community at BACT, said: “We are delighted to have once again hosted the Donna Louise Christmas party. The players were brilliant and I think everyone had a great time.
“It’s an important partnership for us and this event is just one part of it.”
Pictures: Richard Holmes