Kent Cricketers Visit Demelza Children’s Hospice

Kent Cricket made a special visit to Demelza Children's Hospice in Sittingbourne yesterday ahead of Sunday's CB40 match in support of the charity's annual 'Go Dotty For Demelza' campaign.

Mark Davies, Ben Harmison and Mike Powell were joined by Kent Cricket Strength and Conditioning Coach, Pete Kelly for the visit, which included a tour of the hospice facilities. The players also had the opportunity to meet some of the children currently staying at the hospice, including Charlotte (pictured).

Demelza's children's hospices support children and young people (0-19) who are not expected to reach adulthood, and offer support to their families. When a diagnosis is given, families often feel very isolated and children's hospices provide the necessary short breaks and a range of specialist services benefiting the children and young people themselves and their wider family, which are simply not available elsewhere.

Mike Powell commented following the visit; "The visit was amazing stuff – inspirational kids and a very humbling experience for us all."

On Sunday, Kent Cricket players will warm up for their CB40 match against Unicorns in Demelza's dotty t-shirts, with Demelza staff selling dotty items to supporters and collecting donationsduring the match.

Mark Davies said after the visit; "I was left in total admiration of the work that goes into making Demelza as successful as it is. Your donations to Demelza make much a difference to children’s lives."

Ben Harmison also commented ahead of Sunday's match; "Raising money to make the Hospice the place it is, is fantastic and I hope the Demelza Children's Hospice continues to grow because the kids love it, it is truly inspirational. Please give generously to support such a worthwhile cause."

Natalie Tegg, Head of Partnerships at Demelza – who is keen to maintain the relationship between the Club and the charity, stated;“Thank you so muchto the team for taking the time to visit Demelza. It was fantastic for the children and families. It was important for them to see the facilities here and give an insight into the work we do. This can only strengthen the great partnership between the club and Demelza”.

There is still time to buy your tickets for Sunday's match – with the Club's special promotion for this match kids are a quid and there is no booking fee when purchasing tickets in advance online. Click here for tickets.

Photos: Sarah Morecombe