Longstaff announced as Newcastle United Foundation ambassador

Longstaff made an appearance at Great North Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, meeting children supported by a special programme delivered in partnership by Newcastle United Foundation with funding from the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

The project delivers tailored sporting and education activities and programmes to young cancer patients, as well as providing support to siblings and families.

Coincidentally, the 21-year-old lives next door to a current Foundation participant who has benefitted from the Great North Children's Hospital programme.

James Geddes began working with the Foundation after he was diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 16. Since getting out of hospital, he has thrived on a number of Foundation employability projects and, after seeing James' story in the matchday programme, Longstaff was inspired to get involved further.

Newcastle United Foundation engages with more than 54,000 children, young people and adults every year through education, health, employability and football projects across Newcastle, Gateshead, Northumberland and North Tyneside.

Longstaff said: "This is my first visit to a Foundation event and it's fantastic to see the impact they are having on young patients and their families here at Great North Children's Hospital.

"The Foundation does such amazing work throughout our communities and, as someone who has grown up in Newcastle, I wanted to get more involved in supporting all the good things they are doing to make a difference to disadvantaged children and young people in our region."

Head of Newcastle United Foundation Kate Bradley added: "We're thrilled to have Sean’s support - as a young Geordie lad representing his local club in the Premier League, he is a hero and role model to so many of the people we work with.

"It means a lot that he wants to be more involved and help raise awareness of our work in the community. We’re really excited to be working more closely with Sean and getting him involved in some exciting future plans."

This is the first project Newcastle United Foundation and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation have delivered together and feedback from patients and their families alike has been overwhelmingly positive.

Lady Elsie Robson said: "We're absolutely thrilled by how well this project is going. To face cancer at any age is a difficult thing, but it's especially hard for young patients and they deserve all the help we can give them.

"We're very proud to be working in partnership with Newcastle United Foundation and we've had great support from Sunderland's Foundation of Light and Middlesbrough's Foundation, too.

"I know Bob would be very proud that we've been able to fund this and we’re so glad it's making such a difference."

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