Players from Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club brought some early Christmas cheer to homeless people in Nottingham on Friday, when they delivered parcels of food and other festive treats.

The club, keen to support people in need in the community, has been collecting donations of food and gifts from club staff, members and supporters. These were delivered to 34 Bentinck Road – accommodation for older men and women with a history of homelessness.

Greg Smith and Steven Mullaney were on hand to deliver the donations – the result of several weeks of collecting by staff at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. 

“We often take it for granted that Christmas is a time for us to leave cricket behind for a couple of weeks and spend time with our families but we are well aware that it is a difficult time for some people which is why we’re happy to lend our support,” said Mullaney. 

“There has been a lot of effort from all of the players and staff to gather a much food as we can and we hope that we can make a small difference by supporting the fantastic work that framework do, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year, to support the homeless." 

Esmond Patterson, assistant manager at 34 Bentinck Road, added: “Donations like these are always welcome in our service – not only because they can be extremely useful to people with very limited incomes, but because they remind our residents that there are a great many people out there who care about them and want to show their support towards them.

“Christmas can be a very lonely time for homeless people who are often isolated from their families, so this gesture is especially welcome and this time of year. We also count several avid cricket fans among our number, so a visit by First Class players will be really well received.  I would like to thank everybody involved in this initiative and wish all at the club a merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.”