Dartford Football Club will be holding a special fundraiser for hospice charity ellenor during the Charlton friendly this Saturday.

Earlier this year, the Club announced a three-year partnership with the charity – with the goal of supporting its aims of raising awareness of the essential services it provides for local people and their families after a life-limiting diagnosis.

Before the match, DFC players will warm-up wearing ellenor t-shirts to help raise awareness of the charity’s work, with collection pots and stands around the ground and ellenor’s Ellie the Elephant mascot making an appearance.

Hospice charity ellenor provides inpatient and at-home care for people with life-limiting illness, as well as a range of well-being and therapeutic services, such as play and music therapy, and counselling. Based in Northfleet, it also serves people in Dartford and surrounding areas too – and not just the patient, but their families, if they need support.

A DFC spokesman said: “We are delighted to hold a special fundraising event for ellenor this Saturday. If you don’t have any change, QR codes will enable fans to donate digitally. Please give generously for this very worthy cause.”

Jemma Kemp, Corporate Partnerships Manager at ellenor, said: “We’re excited to kick off our partnership at the highly anticipated Dartford vs. Charlton match! With a large crowd expected, this is a fantastic chance for ellenor to raise awareness in our shared community.

“As Dartford’s local hospice, we offer vital support to patients and families facing life-limiting illnesses. While our hospice is based in Gravesend, most of our care is delivered at patients’ homes, many of which are in Dartford. As a charity, we rely on local support. Events like this help keep us top of mind. This year, we’re proud to celebrate 40 years of compassionate care, and all funds raised through this partnership will ensure we can continue this work for another 40 years.”