Tomorrow Darlaston Town's Paycare Ground will hold its final game of the season, just before a major investment on all four pitches starts in preparation for next season.

Darlaston Town (1874) FC Committee Member Gav Ingles is once again arranging his annual charity football match, with the world renown Birmingham Childrens Hospital benefitting once again. Instead of the hospitals general appeals receiving the profits from tomorrow, this year in will be Ward 10.

The main event the game between Wednesbury AFC League winners 2016/17 and this seasons Wednesbury AFC team, so I would imagine there will be plenty of friendly banter and rivalry between the two squads on the day.

The game kicks off at 2 pm with the gates to the ground opening at 1 pm with an entrance charge for Adults £3 and children £1.50

Ward 10 is the neurosurgery ward for children who have a problem with their brain or spine.

The ward looks after children of all ages for both short and longer term stays. Others live mostly at home but come to the ward for a check-up or treatment. If you stay on the ward, you are likely to have a bed in a large bay with other children.

The ward has a strong focus on rehabilitation, helping children who have had an illness or injury to do things like walk or talk again. Our therapy services team works regularly with many children on the ward, giving them exercises to help them get better.

There is a playroom here to help keep you entertained. It has a soft play area with plenty of toys and games as well as a TV.

Parents can stay at the bedside all day and night and may be able to stay in our Parent Accommodation area or Ronald McDonald House (subject to availability).

So you see the funds raised will go to such an important and vital service that everyone can benefit from, even though no family wants to have to visit the ward.

Once such young child from Walsall did, This is Alfie’s and his family's story;

Alfie is a local boy who lives within the Walsall area and has been taken from another charity event to raise funds for the same ward.

Nearly 14 months ago on March 27th 2018 our beautiful little boy Alfie at 13 months old had to undergo a 6 hour operation to reconstruct his skull.

Back when Alfie was only 5 weeks old after a routine visit to a paediatrician, we were told we were being referred to a neurologist to check on Alfie’s head. It was after lots of other appointments and tests it was confirmed Alfie had a rare condition called Saggital Craniosynostosis, meaning his skull had fused to early which as a result, in the long term would cause Alfie to have a mis-shaped head and potentially some serious problems such as pressure on the brain or encounter some developmental issues as he grew. It was with a heavy heart we agreed to go ahead with the surgery to ensure that Alfie had the best start possible.

Whilst the time at the hospital was traumatic and devastating the experience, we had was the most positive. The surgical team and the staff on the ward were outstanding, Alfie was looked after better then we could of ever imagined. The ward itself had some lovely facilities such as a play room, soft play and some sensory bits and bobs for the children. They had ‘entertainment’ visit the ward and the patients such as therapy pets, singing and music teams and they had play staff on site to engage the children.

After four nights Alfie was well enough to go home and continue to grow as a happy healthy little boy.

So the aim of the day is to raise more funds for this wonderful ward whose staff work so hard to make the experience as positive as possible, that includes the extras that the NHS does not provide for like the ‘entertainment’ visits and equipment used on a daily basis to make not only the patients stay more comfortable but that of the parents also.
Whilst the time at the hospital was traumatic and devastating the experience, we had was the most positive. The surgical team and the staff on the ward were outstanding, Alfie was looked after better then we could of ever imagined. The ward itself had some lovely facilities such as a play room, soft play and some sensory bits and bobs for the children. They had ‘entertainment’ visit the ward and the patients such as therapy pets, singing and music teams and they had play staff on site to engage the children.

After four nights Alfie was well enough to go home and continue to grow as a happy healthy little boy.