Ahead of International Women's Day, West Ham United women's team players Emma Harries and Katie O’Hanlon spent an afternoon talking with the patients at Newham Hospital, as well as meeting nurses and doctors.
The Club has a long-standing partnership with the hospital in Plaistow, and the duo made a surprise visit in support of Barts Charity, the charity that is devoted to Barts Health NHS Trust.
During their visit, the players spent time chatting with the children in the Rainbow Ward, taking pictures with family and staff, handing out yoys, and there were smiles all round as goalkeeper O’Hanlon found herself locked in an intense rap battle with one of the patients!
Despite it being a difficult time for the children and their families, the children gave the players a warm welcome, and O’Hanlon was quick to highlight the importance of such visits within the east London community.
“I think it’s really important to see how important our influence is to everyone here and it was really eye-opening”, said O’Hanlon.
“There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that we don’t see and wouldn’t know about unless you were here. It’s important to be reminded of all the hard work everyone puts in behind the scenes on a daily basis.
“It’s quite personal being here today as I’ve had some family members in the past that we’ve unfortunately lost to cancer, and it was really heartwarming to see how they are looked after here.
“I think it’s something that’s really unique for us here at West Ham. We’re really close to members of the community, with the kids here, and some of the school projects we’ve taken part in have been really important. Football Clubs can sometimes be hard to reach and not accessible, so having these relationships helps bring us back to the community and I’m really proud to be a part of it.
“They’re all going through something which is pretty groundbreaking for them and their families, and there’s a lot to be learned from if they can greet us with a smile. It’s been a great experience for all of us.”
Harries, meanwhile, added: “It’s been really nice and quite wholesome for both me and Katie. The children here are incredible and if we could put a smile on their faces for five seconds then it was worth it.
“We are representing West Ham and I think if we can reach out into the community whatever way that looks, I think it promotes a really nice relationship and hopefully us being here has made them have a happier afternoon and created a nice memory for them.
“I think it’s massive [having relationships within the local community]. West Ham are a massive football club, and I think if we can bridge out into the community it might encourage more people to come down to watch West Ham or it might even promote different conversations or relationships throughout the community.
“The staff are amazing, and it was evident from the work they have done today. The children love them, even if that means engaging with them in games or actually giving them treatment, and for me, they are the real-life superheroes of the community, and a huge credit should be shown to them.
“They [the children] absolutely loved having us here and every single child we met today was amazing and had an incredible story as well. It was a privilege for me to meet them all.
“I’m extremely proud to be a part of this and hopefully I can continue to do more throughout the community because it’s really important."
The Rainbow Ward provides 24-hour inpatient and day care for children and young people, and they, along with other staff at the hospital, do an incredible job of dealing with different types of pressure on a daily basis. Among the staff Katie and Emma met was West Ham supporter Jacqui Seaton, a children's clinical nurse specialist.
She explained: “Visits like today don’t just have a positive impact on children we care for, but also on us, the staff as well. It’s fantastic to see that a club such as West Ham are thinking about us and that the players take the time and come to visit. It gives us a boost, which in a role like this, we sometimes need!
“West Ham are our local team and I know that for some kids in our hospital, football is a big part of their lives and that keeps them going when things are hard.
"I think they're important [role models] because Newham is a deprived area and many of the kids don’t get the chance to meet people like them. Seeing people such as West Ham United players gives them belief to and achieve their dreams. They can look up to these players.
"My family are West Ham fans, and I worked at The Royal London. On my days off I volunteered as a special police constable for the Met. In this role, I often policed the West Ham home games at Upton Park, which I loved. I was even lucky enough to be at the last game there!”
If you would like to find out more about Barts Charity, click here.
