An Easter Trip!

I was lucky enough to accompany a number of the playing staff, plus John Gaunt, on the trip to a number of children's wards at the City Hospital and QMC last Tuesday, and it was noticeable just how happy the presence of a few footballers made these kids, showing just how worthwhile the visit itself was.

The cry had gone out for Notts County fans to donate Easter Eggs in preparation for this visit (well organised by a very good person, who wishes to remain nameless) and boy did you guys deliver! The number of eggs donated were over double what the club expected and this made for some very happy nurses at the respective hospitals, as there were, in some cases, too many eggs for the children!

The players who went on the trip were: Stuart Garden, Nicky Fenton, Stefan Oakes, Matty Williams, Paul Heffernan, Paul Bolland, Paul Riley, Saul Deeney, Steve Scoffham, Frazer McHugh and Tony Scully. A big thankyou must go to all these players.

We first went to the City Hospital where we were taken up to various childrens wards and the photographer from the Nottingham Evening Post (page 5 in Saturday's paper) got a few mug shots of the players and the happy children as we moved swiftly through the various wards.

The players, well most of them at least, were enthusiasticaly giving the children their Easter Eggs, while Matty Willaims was lumbered with a big box of toys/books that was fastly getting lighter as various gifts were given out.

After various lift trips (oh how the boys loved being cramped up with four or five females!) up and down the City Hospital it was time to move on to Queens.

The players and JG got in the mini bus while I opted for the relative safety of the car as we made the short journey to the Queens Medical Centre.

The Queens Med trip was very similar to that of the City Hospital, except the nurses were that bit more excitable and there were fewer wards there for the players to go around.

Oakes, John Gaunt, Scoffham & McHugh with one very happy chappy

Williams continued to carry the box admirably (I think it was more a case of picking on the new boy), while the rest plodded along happily giving gifts out to all the children.

Eventually, there were so many eggs leftover that a big bag of around 50 was left in the hope that new patients going in over the next few days would enjoy them, much rather then an empty storeroom at Meadow Lane.

Once more, although many will claim it's part of their job, special thanks must go to the players, the majority of which made it look like they genuinely wanted to be there, rather then that they HAD to be there.

Special mentions must go to particular good sports Stefan Oakes, Paul Bolland, Matty Williams and Steve Scoffham, who even helped bring the stuff down from the Oriental Suite and must have given out double the eggs of any other player!

Another special mention must go to the organiser (nameless, again) who not only put a smile upon dozens of sick childrens faces, but also managed to keep some footballers at 'work' until 4 o'clock!

And- after a school visit from Steve Scoffham and Simon Baldry last week- it appears the club is finding it's feet in a community sense now, which- in the long term- should boost attendances, which can only be good news.

Keep it up, guys!