Young football team spread festive cheer to Sunderland care home residents

Velocity Phoenix Under-11s team paid a visit to Hylton View Care Home, in Old Mill Road, to meet with residents and give them Christmas gifts.

The team, made up of youngsters aged nine to 11 from the Hylton Castle area, spent the afternoon playing games with the residents before enjoying a meal together at the home.

Donna Weiss, 36, team secretary, was delighted with the success of the day.

She said: “The kids sat down with the residents and had conversations with them and told them a little about themselves.

“Then they did a quiz with them and plated bingo, which the kids loved.

“We also gave them some gifts and toiletries, as we knew that they needed a lot of toiletries, and that some of the elderly residents don’t get a lot of visitors.

“So we took bags fill to the brim of toiletries and gifts which has been donated by the team and their parents.

“Then we went in to the dining room and had dinner with the residents.

“One of the ladies really loved football so that was nice and we also had a singer called Louise Richardson who volunteered to come in and sing songs from the 1940s.”

And for Mrs Weiss the charity event was indeed a family affair, as she was joined by her husband Rob Weiss, 34, who is the team manager, her son Theo Weiss, 15, who is assistant coach and daughter Emmi, 10, who plays for the team, on the day.

Mrs Weiss, who has been involved with the team for around four years, continued: “Some of the kids have been learning about World War One at school so they recognised some of the songs.

“It was a really good day and it was great to get the team involved in giving something back at Christmas and get in the spirit of Christmas.

“The kids were out of their comfort zone and they were apprehensive before they went in, but they all enjoyed it and the residents absolutely loved it.”