Care South Gifts VIP Experience to Bournemouth Care Home Resident and Care South at Home Client
A resident from Care South’s Castle Dene care home in Bournemouth and a client from Care South at Home Bournemouth were delighted to represent the not-for-profit charity at AFC Bournemouth’s player kit sponsor evening on Wednesday 12th April, hosted at Vitality Stadium. The evening was possible thanks to Care South’s sponsorship of Illia Zabarnyi, a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a defender for AFC Bournemouth and the Ukrainian national team.
Resident from Castle Dene care home, Eileen attended the event with Ian, a client of Care South at Home Bournemouth accompanied by staff members, Lesley Wheal and Jane Legg. They were delighted to attend the event which started with a welcome drink on arrival followed by a two-course meal and coffee. Prior to dining, there were photo opportunities and conversation with Illia Zabarnyi, Care South’s sponsored player.
Jimmy Glass, a former professional footballer who played for England as a goalkeeper, was the event host for the evening and conducted a number of player interviews, as well as presenting a fun quiz for all.
Simon Bird, Chief Executive, Care South, said: “What a fantastic experience this was for everyone, both Ian and Eileen and our two team members, Jane and Lesley, who kindly accompanied them. Care South is delighted to be a partner with AFC Bournemouth, together we run numerous on-going initiatives which allows residents, home care clients and staff to get involved in a variety of activities, including meeting players, coffee mornings, walking football and visits to Vitality Stadium. The partnership enriches the lives of residents’ and clients in our care, and this is just another excellent example of that.”
Lesley Wheal, Activities Organiser at Castle Dene, commented: “There are no words to describe how incredible the evening was. It’s always great to see the AFC Bournemouth team, especially as we have such a fantastic partnership with its Community Sports Trust Team, which makes regular visits to our home and interacts with residents in our care. It was such a wonderful experience to attend the kit sponsor evening and seeing Eileen and Ian interact with Illia Zabarnyi just added that special touch to the evening. It is an experience that I’m sure won’t be forgotten.”
Resident from Castle Dene, Eileen, commented: “I had an absolutely wonderful evening. I would have never expected to meet the players firsthand. Everyone was so lovely, and it was wonderful interacting with the players, especially Illia.”
Client, Ian from Care South at Home Bournemouth, added: “It was great fun and a fabulous evening. I enjoyed meeting the players as I have seen their shirt numbers on the television, but it was great seeing their faces and putting their numbers to faces. It was a great evening getting to see and meet a mixture of players from Steve Fletcher to Illia.”
