Boss Mick McCarthy and several members of the first-team squad visited local children’s hospices and hospital wards yesterday to hand out presents.

McCarthy, DJ Campbell, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Bradley Orr and Arran Lee-Barrett were at the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice (EACH) in Ipswich, where they joined in a spot of face-painting, while Lee Martin, Andy Drury, Luke Chambers and Aaron Cresswell went to the West Suffolk Hospital Children’s Ward

Visits to the St Nicholas Hospice, St. Elizabeth Hospice, Colchester Hospital Children’s Ward and Ipswich Hospital Children’s Ward are planned for later in the week.

The players contributed around £2,000 for the presents with Town working with the East of England Co-Op to provide the gifts.

McCarthy told the club site: “I watched our lads and they were fantastic with the youngsters, chatting away and really interacting with them.

“At every club I’ve been working in the community has been important and it’s clear that is the philosophy here.”

EACH spokesperson Camilla Haycock said: “It’s a very busy time of the year and can also be a very difficult time of year for the families, so to have the players visiting is a massive boost for them.

“We had some children who came in especially to meet the players. They are Town fans so it was great for them to see the players and the manager.”

Photo: ITFC

Photo: Action Images

jeera added 14:58 - Dec 11 That's what it's all about. Well done gentlemen and ITFC.
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MaySixth added 15:04 - Dec 11 Good work lads.
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WeirdFishes added 15:10 - Dec 11 are there any more photos?
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kuyski added 15:20 - Dec 11 nice！ can more photo pls？
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Bluetone added 15:20 - Dec 11 That is what makes out Town a club and not just a team. Well done to the lads.
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PhilTWTD added 15:34 - Dec 11 There's a bit on Ipswich Player here: http://www.player.itfc.co.uk/latest-news/article/3006912/date/20121211142300/pag
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pazelle added 15:43 - Dec 11 At least one of the kids is awake!
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GREYBLUE added 15:50 - Dec 11 It's a pleasure to see the blues visiting, i'm sure it has been appreciated. Well done Town
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NoCanariesAllowed added 15:54 - Dec 11 JET looks like he really got into the spirit! :D
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hollywoodginge added 16:08 - Dec 11 Was reading this thread and looking at the picture, Xmas songs on the telly, it brought me a warm glow, well done all involved peace and good will to you all.
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Taricco_Fan added 16:09 - Dec 11 Well done Mick and the lads.
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rosseden added 16:17 - Dec 11 good to see them so involved..... its easy for people in their position to forget just how lucky they are..... getting paid a stack of cash for something they love..... this does go some way to keeping them real i think...... makes me proud to be a town fan........
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Ryorry added 16:28 - Dec 11 Good to see, well done all. As already mentioned, I hope it helps those who visited appreciate even more how incredibly lucky they are.
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kizaitfc added 16:49 - Dec 11 Like the fact some kid has just gone for Micks wonky conker aha
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TractorBeezer added 17:25 - Dec 11 Great spirit. Well done Mick and the lads!
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BigAlwasmyhero added 17:57 - Dec 11 Excellent!
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Talbs77 added 19:30 - Dec 11 Footballers these days get stick for all sorts, their private lives etc. What this shows is the fantastic work they do in the community and credit to them for contributing out of their own pockets. Extremely proud of the boys helping put the most needy people in our community.
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petermorris added 20:09 - Dec 11 PAZELLE - you're the only one asleep FFS!
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Warky30million added 23:52 - Dec 11 Pazelle my son passed away at the hospice, have you any concept of what the hospice does or how hard it is for parents of terminally ill children? You Sir are an utter..........feel free to add the missing word people.
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rackoona08 added 08:35 - Dec 12 Pazelle do you realize that these children are terminally ill, your comment my friend is sick, keep your comments to football and nothing else if you do not understand. God forbid you ever have to go through what these children and parents go through, the players would have taken a lot from this visit, PRIDE being one of them, in how these families deal with such distress and pain. Well done to ITFC and the children and families.

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bontcho added 09:09 - Dec 12 Hospices do amazing work and it's great that ITFC do this. Hopefully the increase in interest following these visits will raise a few quid from ITFC players, staff and fans.
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JewellintheTown added 09:50 - Dec 12 Well done lads, best result all season and the only one that really matters. Puts Football into perspective and makes us all appreciate what we have in life. Hope the kids have the best Christmas they could hope for and the visit and presents make a difference. Dont forget its not just football players & managers visits that that can make a difference though in a place like that. Sorry to hear of your loss Warky30million. Lets hope Pazelle didnt understand what a hospice is all about rather than intentionally trying to offend.

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Edinburgh_Blue added 13:15 - Dec 12 That's fine old school friend's daughter at the front with the blonde hair. :-) Well done lads!
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Edinburgh_Blue added 13:15 - Dec 12 'MY'.
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BerlinBlue added 22:02 - Dec 12 Warky30million, people like Pazelle are ignorant, plain and simple. At least the rest of us on here understand your loss and the fantastic work hospices do.
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