DEFENDERS Emanuel Pogatetz and David Wheater showed their gentle side when they visited Butterwick House Children's Hospice in the latest stage of the Creating Chances community programme.

The duo toured the Stockton facility - which is one of Boro's chosen charities - to mark Children's Hospice Awareness Week.

Their visit took on a butterfly theme to match the official symbol of the Association of Children's Hospices.



Poggy and Wheats joined young patients to try their hand at baking and decorating butterfly cakes, before helping youngsters paint butterflies in the hospice's craft room.

They also saw the facility's innovative wheelchair swing in action, before looking in on the hydrotherapy pool and meeting local people who are set to take part in a sponsored swimathon in aid of the hospice.

Butterwick House Children's Hospice provides respite, bereavement and end-of-life care to children from birth to 19 years. It currently cares for more than 70 children and their families covering an area of 2,000 square miles across the Tees Valley, County Durham, North Yorkshire and Wearside.

The hospice's dedicated clinical team, staff and volunteers aim to enrich the lives of children with slow progressive disorders and those with severe chronic disabilities. Their focus is on each child enjoying their stay while family members take a break from round-the-clock caring responsibilities

Butterwick House, which is also receiving £2,000 from the Premier League and Boro, became the North East's first children's hospice when it opened nine years ago.

Hospice spokeswoman Stephanie Wood said: "We are absolutely delighted. The visit will be a huge boost for patients, staff and volunteers alike.

"Our philosophy is that we can't add days to life but we can add life to days. However, maintaining our service costs £800,000 per year so we would be delighted to hear from anyone who can help out either as a volunteer or fundraiser."

?The Premier League is donating £1m to charities and good causes throughout the country via the Creating Chances initiative. Middlesbrough Football Club chose 25 good causes - including Butterwick House Children's Hospice - to receive £2,000 each, while players are making personal appearances in support of eight different causes over a three-week period.

During late September and early October, Boro players will make further Creating Chances community appearances for Abbey Hill Special School in Stockton, Safer Middlesbrough Partnership, the Carers' Resource Centre in Harrogate and Boro's own education schemes, Heading for Health and Football First.

Other causes receiving £2,000 were Barnardos SECOS, The Clarke Lister Appeal, Cardiac Risk in the Youny, Daisy Chain Project, Eston Labour Club (for the Great North Air Ambulance), Grangetown Netball, Holistic Cancer Care, Macmillan, Middlesbrough Disabled Supporters Association, Middlesbrough Live at Home Scheme, Mike Findley MND Fund, Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre, North Yorkshire Crimebeat, Samaritans, Sea Cadets, St Michael's School, Billingham (for Help the Aged), The Twe12th Man, Whale Hill Community Association, York & District MIND, Zoe's Place.