Footballers and netballers help provide festive treat
16th December 2008TeamBath footballers and netballers joined Mayor of Bath Councillor Tim Ball to provide a festive treat for local children with special needs.
The TeamBath athletes and TeamBath donated money to provide the food for the annual Mayor of Bath’s Christmas Party at the Guildhall.
They also went along to the party to join in the festive fun and dish out the food to the children.
It’s the seventh year that TeamBath has helped out at the party.
Cllr Tim Ball, Mayor of Bath, said: "TeamBath has helped out at the annual Mayor of Bath's Christmas Party for children with special needs for the past seven years.
“One hundred children, their teachers and helpers, from special schools all over Bath came this year. Team Bath members got into the festive spirit and made the kids' day. They pitched in blowing up balloons, serving food with a smile and were a great help eating up the left-overs!
“The footballers and netballers were brilliant ambassadors for the Sports Training Village at the University of Bath,” he added.
Footballer Sami El-Abd, a Sports Performance student at the University of Bath, said all of the of the players enjoyed being part of the party. “The lads really enjoyed it,” he said. “We like doing things for charity – it helps show there’s so much more to life than football.”
Andy Tillson, TeamBath’s head coach, said: “It was brilliant to be involved in. It’s a good thing for the lads to do, especially at Christmas. It’s great for the kids - that’s really what it’s all about.”
TeamBath netballer Monique Wood, a Sports Performance student at the University of Bath and England A international, said: “I really enjoyed it, it was great to be involved with. Just talking to the kids was really rewarding.”
Serena Guthrie, an 18-year-old TeamBath netballer who has already made her senior England international debut, added: “It was really cool and it was useful for me to find out how to interact with people with different types of disabilities.”
The party also featured a magician – and Father Christmas turned up too.
Rotork Controls sponsored the party and the Rotary Club of Bath West supported the event by arranging for Father Christmas and his helpers to come along.