Footballers donate signed kit for NICU charity raffle

Two Norwich City footballers whose babies spent time on the NNUH Neonatal Intensive Care Unit are supporting a charity raffle to raise funds for the department.

Canaries Josh Sargent and Ben Gibson have donated a haul of amazing prizes which will be raffled to raise money to buy one or two special prams which can be used by NICU families when their babies are on the unit at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Both players have recently experienced life on the unit when their babies were cared for by the team.

The aim of the raffle is to raise money to purchase two Bugaboo Donkey prams, at a cost of about £1,215 each.

The prams have a built-in side basket which will hold an oxygen cylinder and an observation monitor, meaning families can take their baby off the unit for a short time while not interrupting any treatment.

NNUH Consultant Neonatologist Priya Muthukumar, Kate McColl, NICU Family Care Sister and Senior Trust Medical Secretary Bev Burkill visited the Norwich City FC training ground in Colney to thank the players and pick up the donated items.

The 20 raffle prizes will be of huge interest for fans of the Canaries, and include signed team shirts, signed individual player shirts, FA Cup balls, football boots and signed programmes, which will be raffled by the N&N Hospitals Charity.

Kate McColl, NICU family care sister, said: “We are so grateful to Josh and Ben for supporting our NICU by donating these wonderful items.

“We hope we can raise enough funds to buy the prams which will allow parents to take their babies off the unit for short periods of time.”

Julie Cooper, Head of Charity for the N&N Hospitals Charity, said: “We are always incredibly grateful to everyone who supports us with helping to improve care at our hospitals, and we are very excited that two Norwich City football players have been able to arrange the donation of so many special items for our raffle.  Thank you to everyone involved.”

Among the items to be raffled are:

Signed first team squad home shirt, signed first team squad away shirt, signed first team second choice away kit.

Individual home and away shirts signed by Josh Sargent, Ben Gibson, Angus Gunn, Sydney Van Hooijdonk, Shane Duffy and Borja Sainz.

Gabriel Sara signed home shirt, match worn boots and signed programme, along with FA Cup match ball.

  • Tickets cost £5 per book of 5 and can be purchased from the N&N Hospitals Charity Hub in the East Atrium at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, by phone at 01603 287107 or via Paypal at bit.ly/NICU2024
  • If you would like to support the N&N Hospitals Charity or find out more about the work we do, please contact charity@nnuh.nhs.uk