St Christopher's Hospice are auctioning 4 hospitality tickets for our match this Saturday!
St Christopher's Hospice are thrilled to be auctioning four hospitality tickets for Dulwich Hamlet vs Chichester City on Saturday 28 February – yes this Saturday!
This is a rare opportunity to enjoy a hospitality experience whilst helping to support vital hospice care. You’ll also be able to watch comedian Elis James take on Geraint John take part in a race at half time, all in support of St Christopher’s.
Thank you Mac and Miller for donating this incredible prize!
What’s included:
- 4x matchday hospitality tickets with access to the Boardroom
- 4x reserved seats in the Directors area
- 4x Programmes
- Unlimited drinks and snacks
- Boardroom access from 1:30pm to 6.30pm.
The auction also has a signed shirt from our men's team, a signed ball, a merch bundle and a cake bouquet from Verdant Whisk
Want to make a bid on the various different items? You can do so by the link below:
THIS SATURDAY, THE £10,000 RACE...
The rival runners, now near neighbours in Dulwich, were acquaintances in South Wales back in the Noughties. Then, more recently Elis contacted Geraint suggesting they went for a pint, having read the latter’s much-viewed Twitter posts about death, dying and grief and the two are now close friends.
“Elis sent me a video of him winning the parents’ race at his kid’s school and being competitive I said I could definitely beat him,” says Geraint.
“Debs had said she wanted us to do something to support St Christopher’s and this just seemed like the perfect opportunity.”
The ‘us’, Geraint refers to, are him and their three kids, Noah, Enfys and Seren.
It’s because St Christopher’s made an unbelievably difficult time as good as it possibly could be for the whole family that Geraint wants not only to raise some serious money, but also to encourage more people, especially middle-aged men, to talk about death and dying.
“When you really love someone, that love has no boundary and they are so unwell it’s a big ask to put them in the hands of someone you don’t know and have never met. But I felt when we handed Debs over to St Christopher’s it just made the last 14 days of her life really meaningful.
“She got to see the sun, to smile and spend time with us while being respected and cared for. It made a very bad situation one that I can look back on without being horrified and I can talk about it.
“From the people on reception, to the lovely folk in the café and in the garden, everyone helped make such a difference to the point where I can say, thank God it was St Christopher’s. We were all there, which was beautiful.”
“I’m quite self-aware, but for all those men of my sort of age who find themselves in this situation I just hope they’ll read this or see me and find it relatable, address their fears and talk about it.”
It’s fair to say neither Geraint nor Debs were 100% convinced when it was suggested she move there from King’s College Hospital.
“I didn’t know anyone who’d had cancer let alone what a hospice was. So, I went to go and check it out before Debs came here. I came to reception; told them my wife was about to come in and that I wanted to have a look around! Then she came and she was so happy to be there. It just felt normal and familiar to Debs after six hectic weeks in hospital.
“We had some lovely moments in the garden where we had some important chats and I could just see how she felt comforted there.”
Come Saturday 28 February, friendship will go out of the window, as Geraint, AKA Baz, after Welsh 1970s rugby wizard Barry John, takes on sports day champion Elis and they step out of their comfort zone, for those all-important bragging rights.
Shortly after, Geraint plans to return to the hospice for the first time since Deb’s death, to present what he hopes will be at least £10,000. If you’d like to support Geraint and Elis, visit https://gofund.me/ba9904932.
Nujum Sports donate Ramadan packs to members of our 1st team players.
For the 3rd season running the team from Nujum Sports have donated Ramadan packs to members of both our men's and women's 1st teams. Further strengthening the relationship between our football club and Nujum Sports.
Nujum have partnered with the Hamlet for a number of years and were advisors when we created our new prayer room inside one of our old squash courts at Champion Hill.
Nujum are committed to building an environment & culture that actively supports Muslin Athletes, at all levels, throughout their organisation and the sports industry.
The Hamlet signed the Muslim Athlete Charter in 2023 becoming the 1st Non League football club to sign the charter.
Ebadur Rahman, CEO and founder of Nujum Sports had this to say when he dropped off our players Ramadan packs this week, "We’re incredibly proud at Nujum to be working alongside Dulwich Hamlet F.C. to deliver Ramadan packs that directly support Muslim players and staff during the holy month. As the first non-league signatory of the Muslim Athlete Charter, this partnership goes beyond words, it’s about taking practical steps to ensure athletes feel seen, supported, and valued throughout Ramadan."
Club EDI officer and striker Danny Mills who has worked closely with Nujum since taking on his EDI role at Champion Hill shared his thoughts "Dulwich Hamlet FC are delighted to once again receive Ramadan packs for our men’s and women’s teams from Nujum Sports.
Since signing the Muslim Athlete Charter, we have been proud to work closely with Nujum to ensure we are doing everything possible to create and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for our Muslim players.
Ramadan is the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, and we are proud to stand alongside our players during this special and significant time."
Finally midfielder Amadou Kassarate who received his pack before training on Thursday alongside shared his thoughts on growing up as a Muslim playing football and how the game has developed and how our multi faith room here at Champion Hill helps him practice his faith whilst at the club: "I’m incredibly grateful to have received support from Nujum Sports every Ramadan for a number of years now. As a player observing Ramadan, their work has played a huge role in helping integrate fasting and football not just at grassroots level, but nationally across the game.
When I was younger, fasting in a football environment was a real challenge. There wasn’t much awareness or understanding around Ramadan within clubs. I used to fast quietly and not tell anyone, worried that it might affect selection or be misunderstood. It often felt like something I had to manage alone.
Now, the landscape has completely changed and organisations like Nujum Sports are a big reason why.
Today, football clubs and sporting institutions are far more educated about Ramadan. There is greater understanding of what fasting involves, how it affects training and match preparation, and how players can be supported properly. Even the Premier League now has established Ramadan protocols, which shows how far the game has come.
Nujum have been at the heart of that progress. Beyond supporting athletes individually, they host events and workshops that educate both members and external organisations about the realities of being a professional Muslim athlete. That education is powerful, it builds understanding, removes stigma, and creates inclusive environments where players don’t feel they have to hide their faith.
One initiative that has personally meant a lot to me is the opening of the multi faith room at Champion Hill. It’s a space I use regularly, and it reflects a genuine commitment to inclusion and respect for players of all faiths at our football club.
Every Ramadan, Nujum also provide support packs, which I always look forward to. Previous editions have included essentials like prayer mats, flasks, dates and other thoughtful items that genuinely help during the month. This year’s edition im delighted with it as it’s a collaboration with Sunna Musk, my favourite fragrance brand so I’m delighted with it."
Want to learn more about the incredible work of Nujum Sports? You can on their website: https://nujumsports.co.uk/
Hamlet to join forces with St Christopher's Hospice this weekend!
From swimming in lakes to getting back out into the garden, hospice care is so much more about dying. It’s about living life to the full, until the last moment.
At St Christopher’s – your local hospice – this is what team help people to do every day. But with a hospice funding crisis across the country, and just a third of their funding coming from the NHS, they are reliant on the support of our community more than ever.
So often, when considering our health, we are asked the question, ‘what’s the matter with you?’
But at St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham, that question is instead: ‘what matters to you?’
For Danni, 45 and living in South London, what mattered most was swimming one more time in her beloved Beckenham Place Park.
It was August 2024 and she had just come into the inpatient unit at St Christopher’s after being supported at home by the hospice’s community team.
Hers was not the average request and isn’t easily achieved when someone is dying and has many medical needs.
But with her husband Andy fully supportive, and a huge effort from the hospice’s multidisciplinary team, on a warm and sunny Tuesday morning in early September, she floated in the lake with her dearly loved partner cradling her in his arms.
To quote her, “I can’t feel my feet, hands or face, but I love this.”
“It was such a profound experience, it was pure joy,” Andy said.
Danni died, peacefully, surrounded by her family, two weeks later.
But palliative care is not just the extraordinary. It also allows for the ordinary to reoccur too.
For William, who has heart failure, his aim was to be able to garden again.
A six-week programme in the hospice gym helped him to build up some muscles and now William says he is “able to garden for much longer, even more than before.”
Ava, from Croydon, was referred to St Christopher’s after struggling with breathlessness. When it set in, she’d find herself panicking and becoming more breathless as a result. She lost confidence and stopped socialising.
But learning some new techniques to control her breathing, she reconnected with her community, even attending a concert with friends in Brixton.
For Mick, what helped him was being treated like an individual and not just a patient.
“I was a person they all got friendly with. They made you feel different and looked after me so well, I can’t fault them in any way. Nothing was too much trouble for anyone.”
Mick certainly needed some building up. A six-week course in the gym with the physio has been another key factor in helping make him strong enough to cope at home and, like William, get back into the garden.
“That pulled me round. I was very low. I was on the ward when they first took me – I was in a wheelchair – and did all the minor exercises. I went for six weeks for an hour and loved it. It was the best thing ever. I love training – like for football or boxing and the physio pushed me.”
For Panna, from Bromley, what mattered to her was being at home when she died. So the team worked towards that from the outset with regular visits and support at home, for her, and for her family.
But this remarkable care is only able to be provided thanks to the generous support of you, our South London community.
We rely on donations from the public to fund 2/3 of the work we do. Your support can help us be there for more people like Mick, Panna, Danni, William and Ava, and help them to achieve what matters most.
We supported almost 7,000 patients, families and carers last year across Southwark, Lewisham, Lambeth, Croydon and Bromley. You can help us to continue to be there when people need us most with a donation.
Donate here:
Dulwich Hamlet FC Christmas Fundraiser
As the festive season approaches, Dulwich Hamlet is proud to announce that we will again be supporting the King’s College Hospital and The Albrighton Centre this Christmas.
Following what has become an annual tradition, we will be raising fund for two local organisations: King’s College Hospital and The Albrighton Centre.
Funds for King’s College Hospital will provide Christmas gifts for children spending the holiday in hospital.
Funds for the Albrighton Centre will help local families with food and essential household items over the festive period.
All donations will be split equally between the two organisations.
We will be fundraising via the Just Giving Page and at December home matchdays until Monday 22nd December 2025. This will allow us to donate prior to Christmas.
You can donate via our Just Giving Page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/dulwichhamlet-fc-xmas-2025?utm_medium=CF&utm_source=CL
If you have any questions about this festive initiate, please get in contact with our community team:
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Remembering Helena...
With September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we shine a light on a Hamlet superfan.
No one ever thinks their child will get cancer, but every year in the UK around 1,900 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed. That’s about one in every 450 children. The five year survival rate for these children is around 80%. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month (CCAM) which aims to generate awareness and support for children suffering from cancer.Getting a childhood cancer diagnosis affects everyone in a family. One day things are fine, the next life forever changes. A family's new normal is full of unknowns and uncertainties.
This month Dulwich Hamlet Football Club is proud to once again be partnering with The Children & Young People’s Cancer’s Association (CCLG) to help raise awareness of childhood cancer. The impact childhood cancer can have on a family is something we are all too aware of at our club. In December 2024 Hamlet sadly lost one of its most passionate and committed young supporters...
HELENA'S STORY
Helena McLean regularly attended football both here at Champion Hill and travelling to away matches alongside dad Jimmy, brother Alex and Merlin - the family dog. However, Helena was diagnosed with a rare solid tumour in January 2021 when she was just 10-years old. She had been a normal happy and healthy child who enjoyed playing netball, football and tennis, as well as swimming, skateboarding and being with her friends.
During her hospital stays, Helena stayed active. She played pool and hula hooped while hooked up to the chemo pump, attended school lessons online, played her guitar and – despite losing her hair three times – stayed positive throughout. Being in hospital so much, missing school and friends and facing harsh treatments designed for adults was not easy. Yet Helena’s willingness to prove people wrong and live as ‘normal’ a life as possible was inspirational. She made sure that education was a priority with getting back to school top of her list. She also continued to support the teams with passion and pride and had a particular soft spot for Hamlet's Women’s team. Many will remember her dancing during the promotion celebrations in May 2024. Sadly, Helena was one of the unlucky ones. At the age of 14, she died in December 2024. The signs and symptoms of childhood cancer can be difficult to spot. Please visit the CCLG website and look at their Child Cancer Smart information (cclg.org.uk/childcancersmart) to understand what the red flags are. The most well-known type is leukaemia, but there are many other types that affect children.
CCLG, alongside other organisations, supported Helena and her family throughout her treatment and in the months that followed her passing. Since then, Helena’s family have continued to follow Hamlet's sides home and away, whilst Jimmy recently became a member of the Dulwich Hamlet Supporters’ Trust Board. The family have also set up the Team McLean fundraising page to raise funds for CCLG. Even if you haven't been directly affected by childhood cancer, please help them to raise awareness. Our children need more funding, kinder treatments and more awareness for childhood cancer. That can only be done with your help. So please use the QR Codes below to learn more about the valuable work that CCLG do, read more about Helena's Story and to donate to the Team McLean fund. 100% of funds raised will go into research for relapsed and refractory childhood cancer, with a focus on solid tumours.
QR CODES
Team McLean: https://specialnamedfunds.cclg.org.uk/team-mclean/
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Champion Hill Stadium,
Edgar Kail Way,
East Dulwich,
London.
SE22 8BD.
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