13 June 2008
A great result for a children’s hospice
Aston Villa announced that it will be wearing the name of Acorns, a children’s hospice, across its shirts next year, rather than seeking new sponsorship, which last year netted the club £2 million. Villa is the first Premier League club to use its shirt sponsorship solely for a charitable purpose. The Guardian reported that the club hopes the move will ‘raise the profile of Acorns and help boost donations through the arrangement’.
Acorns hospice, based in the West Midlands, is recommended in Valuing short lives, NPC’s report on children with terminal conditions. The hospice has residential units so that children do not have to go into hospitals, which they can find distressing. It also provides emergency care during crises, short breaks throughout the child’s life and care during the end-of-life phase. All of its services are free for families. Acorns is a leader in the children’s hospice sector, and last year contributed to the development of the national strategy on children’s palliative care.
The link between football and charity is not new. Many clubs partner with charities, but Villa is the first to take this new approach and forego all potential shirt sponsorship for its chosen charity.
Would it have been better for Villa to give Acorns the cash from sponsorship, than to put the hospice’s name on its shirts? There are arguments for both sides. Some say that the decision is a great opportunity to get publicity for Acorns and the boost to its brand could increase fundraising. Some believe however, that the club would do better to secure sponsorship money, and donate this money to Acorns instead. Time will tell which argument will win out.
Acorns is one of a number of charities highlighted in Valuing short lives. One of the biggest issues highlighted in the report is that, despite the medical needs of children with terminal conditions being met, the day to day needs of families coping with the demands of a very sick child are often overlooked.
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