Mark Noble has spoken of the humbling experience he had when visiting the Richard House children's hospice - which will be in the spotlight at the Boleyn Ground this Saturday.
West Ham United have dedicated the 1 March fixture against Chelsea to raising money and awareness for the hospice, which along with the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is one of the club's two official charities this season. Richard House, based in Beckton, east London, has been running since 2000 and also counts Sir Trevor Brooking as one of its patrons.
The 20-year-old Noble went along to the hospice in Beckton with team-mate Anton Ferdinand and saw for himself the good work being done to help children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. Key to the hospice's aims is offering respite from the emotional and physical trauma for the children and their families.
Speaking to WHUTV, Noble said: "Personally myself, I didn't realise the help and the hard work that the staff put in. It was a culture shock for me. I look at things completely differently now. When I went there I made cakes and played a bit of music with the kids and when you see the smiles on their faces it is great.
"If you can make the kids happier - whether it is for ten minutes or a week - it is like winning a football match. You can see the smile on their faces and the enjoyment they are having. If we are honest, they don't have much enjoyment - they have a tough life and places like that make it so much happier for them. The hard work they do goes unrecognised and I was fully overwhelmed by the whole day."
Watch out for ways in you can lend your support to Richard House this weekend, while you can also get more information by clicking here