Darlington Football Club and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust Charity today announce a new partnership.

The club is keen to improve its relationship with the local community, and we have now adopted CDDFT as our chosen charity for the rest of this season. We have already launched an appeal for Easter eggs and new toys for the children’s ward at Darlington Memorial Hospital, and on Saturday there will be a bucket collection on their behalf at our home game against FC United of Manchester. We have also supplied them with a signed Darlington FC shirt.

Pat Chambers, the Charity Development Manager said, “Darlington Memorial Hospital has a long history in our community, as does Darlington Football Club with a history going back over 135 years. We are overjoyed to have been selected as the club’s charity of choice and are really looking forward to a long and productive relationship with this historic and vibrant local club that has inspired so many generations of supporters. The very clear messages the club sends out about health, wellbeing and being active, with both professional and junior players and their supporters is extremely encouraging and I would hope that together we will each do our part to help build healthier communities.”

To re-inforce our partnership, the charity will be placing an advert board at Blackwell Meadows.

Darlington FC Commercial Director Craig Morley said; “Our new partnership strengthens our links with the local community, we are very pleased to be supporting and encouraging CDDFT, which is a very good cause in our town.

“I would like to urge our fans to give generously to the club’s Easter egg and new toy appeal, and to contribute to the bucket collection on Saturday.”