Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm welcomed two special guests for some Halloween-inspired fun recently, with Jamie Shackleton and Joe Gelhardt joining pupils from Greenfield Primary School in Bramley.

The Leeds-based children’s charity was announced as the official charity partner of Leeds United for the 2023/24 campaign, and throughout the partnership the aim is to create as many special memories and experiences as possible for disadvantaged children throughout the city.

To help celebrate Halloween, Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm hosted around 40 local youngsters along with our two Leeds United first-team stars, for an afternoon of pumpkin decorating. During the visit, Shackleton and Gelhardt made their way around the room, spending time with all of the children in attendance, helping them with their activities, having conversations with them about their school and home lives, whilst also having photos and signing lots of autographs.

Jamie Shackleton, who was visiting Lineham Farm for a second time, spoke to LUTV during the visit, and he said: “Both times that I’ve been down here now, I’ve been able to see the kids have such a great time and you can just see that it’s a special place for them to come and enjoy their day. Us boys coming down, and them getting to spend a bit of time with us and have a bit of a laugh, I think it means a lot to them and we really enjoy doing it as well!”

Tamzin Glindon, Lead Activity Worker at Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm, added: “It’s been an amazing experience for everyone, it was a surprise for the kids, they didn’t know anything about it and it was just lovely to watch them decorating their pumpkins with the players.

“The players were both fantastic and this will be a memory that they will take back to school, and it will probably be with them for the rest of their lives. It’s just a fantastic experience, many young people across the city don’t have a lot in their lives sometimes, so to have this residential at Lineham Farm and the opportunity to meet the two players it’s incredibly special for them.”

For 30 years, Lineham Farm has welcomed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their families to enjoy unforgettable breaks and valuable learning experiences, filled with adventure, fun and learning in a safe and happy environment.

In response to a request from children they support, Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm is on a mission to raise £30,000 to build a new campsite, which will give children and their families a much-needed break from the city, where they can enjoy time together away from challenging home lives.

If you would like to learn more about Leeds Children’s Charity at Lineham Farm and find out how you can help to support the local charity, please click here.