Shola Ameobi rolls back the years as Memory Café makes a Christmas visit to the Freeman Hospital | OneFootball

The club's annual 'A Helping Hand at Christmas' campaign has expanded this year to include the cherished Memory Café, which supports locals living with life-changing illnesses such as Dementia and Alzheimer's.

Each Memory Café session sees a former player join participants for a nostalgic chat about their storied playing days, sparking memories and discussion about days gone by.

Usually hosted at St. James' Park, drop-in sessions were taken on the road for the first time in 2024. Having visited local care homes earlier in the year, sessions are now being hosted in the Freeman Hospital, in collaboration with Newcastle Hospitals Charity, to engage even more members of the community this Christmas.

Kicking off the first session at the Freeman Hospital, former Magpies forward Shola Ameobi entertained patients with anecdotes about key matches and former team-mates, before discussing his current roles at the Academy and Newcastle United Foundation.

Speaking after the event, Shola Ameobi commented: "It's great to give back to a community that has given me so much throughout my career. I love hearing stories and sharing experiences with fans who have much longer memories of following the club than myself.

"We appreciate that it's not always possible for people to attend the Memory Café sessions at St. James' Park, so it's great that the club is continuing to evolve the programme and connect with even more members of the community.

"The Memory Café is such a positive initiative and this type of interaction with patients and their families will hopefully help to raise spirits throughout the Christmas period."

Teri Bayliss, charity director at Newcastle Hospitals Charity said: "Nobody wants to be in hospital over Christmas, so we work really hard to make the festive period as cheerful as possible for patients, with a full programme of activity.

"We're delighted to be able to work with Newcastle United to bring the Memory Café sessions to the Freeman Hospital - we know that this kind of event means so much to our patients, helping to raise spirits and spread a little festive cheer."