Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris visited Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice to kickstart their new nurse recruitment campaign.

The Barnet-based charity is Tottenham Hotspur FC’s official charity partner and currently provides care for over 300 babies, children and young people with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Noah’s Ark has experienced unprecedented demand for its services across North London, with the hospice now needing to urgently enlist ten paediatric nurses to care for seriously unwell babies and children.

Spurs captain Hugo spent the afternoon meeting families with children in the care of Noah’s Ark, as well as specialist care nurses Jordan and Lucy to find out more about the work they do. Hugo attended the opening of The Ark in 2019, and this was his first time back since the pandemic.

Noah’s Ark is aiming to show a different side to a career in nursing by shining a light on the unique aspect of children’s hospice nursing, which allows caregivers to spend time, build bonds and create lasting memories with the babies and children.

Hugo said: “It was a joy to come and meet some of the fantastic nurses and families.

“Noah’s Ark is an incredible charity and I have seen first-hand the amazing work they do for seriously unwell babies and children. On behalf of everyone at the club, we are very proud to support them and to be part of this campaign to recruit more nurses who can provide essential care. This will make a huge difference to so many families in our local community.”

Hayley Manley, director of care at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, said: “It was fantastic to have Hugo here today at Noah’s Ark to meet some of our nurses and spend time with some of our families. Many people imagine children’s hospice care is all about supporting children in their final days. In reality, our nurses spend most of their time helping children to have fun and make the most of every day of their lives.

“We’re looking for paediatric nurses of all levels of experience who want to spend more time with the children they look after, supporting them throughout their journeys and helping families make memories that last a lifetime. We want to say a huge thank you to Hugo and everyone at Tottenham Hotspur for their continued support over the past six years.”

With over 2,400 seriously unwell children in North London who could be benefiting from the charity’s support, the need to recruit more nurses has never been more important.

To find out more about how you can help Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice, including how to apply to be a nurse:

Visit noahsarkhospice.org.uk/nurses