Mark Noble

The top of the table Championship football clash between West Ham and Southampton next week is set to take on extra significance as it aims to publicise the work of a children’s hospice.

To send a link to this page to a friend, simply enter their email address below.

The message will include the name and email address you gave us when you signed up.

Email address

  Send link

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

The match, on February 14, will raise awareness of the work of Richard House Children’s Hospice, in Beckton, east London.

The hospice has been linked to West Ham football club for the past seven years and children and young adults enjoy a visit from the players each Christmas. Midfield maestro Mark Noble is also a patron of the hospice, following in the footsteps of former West Ham star Joe Cole.

The match on Tuesday will include bucket collections from Richard House supporters. The players will also publicise the hospice prior to kick off by warming up in Richard House t-shirts.

Viv Talbot, community fundraising manager at Richard House, said: “The link-up with West Ham is a very important one for us.

“It’s a wonderful chance for us to get our name noticed and we are grateful to West Ham for all the support they have shown us over the years.

“At the visit this Christmas, the players donated more than £1,000 of their own money to us and, without support like this, we simply would not be able to continue doing the great work we do for life-limited children across London.”

Richard House Children’s Hospice was set up in 2000. Today, it supports more than 250 families caring for children and young people with life-limiting, life-threatening and complex healthcare conditions. It needs to raise £3.1m a year.

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble said: “We are happy to support Richard House Children’s Hospice.

“We admire the work their care team does, not just in east London, but across the whole of the Capital. We endeavour to help them as best we can and we hope to do this by raising awareness of them at this special match.”

For more information on Richard House Children’s Hospice, visit www.richardhouse.org.uk