With Christmas being a difficult time for many, a group of Brentford first-team players visited parts of the local community last week.

The group paid special visits to the Mulberry Centre, West Middlesex Hospital and Hounslow Community Foodbox to speak to locals and providing donations and gifts.

Ethan Pinnock and Kris Ajer visited the Mulberry Centre, a charity in Isleworth which aims to improve the lives of anyone affected by cancer, whether that’s those with a diagnosis, carers, family members or bereaved relatives.

The Centre provides a range of services, such as workshops, support groups and counselling. Pinnock and Ajer spoke to people using the Centre’s services, also taking photos with them and providing goody bags.

At November's game against Burnley, the club was able to raise almost £700 for the Mulberry Centre, which will go towards to the services they provide.

Aaron Hickey, Ellery Balcombe, Julian Eyestone and Matthew Cox were able to spread some Christmas cheer among young people staying in the paediatric ward in West Middlesex Hospital. The players provided gifts and spoke to the children. They also were able to speak to staff, many of whom will help run the hospital over the Christmas period.

Among the gifts given to West Middlesex Hospital staff and patients were our Brentford reindeer teddies. Ahead of the visits this year, the club committed to donating a special gift to the hospital on behalf of every fan that purchased a new membership. The club was able to gift around 150 reindeers teddies to the hospital during the visit.

Supporting locals experiencing food poverty

Many people this year will sadly experience food poverty during the winter season. In December alone, the Hounslow Community Foodbox estimates 900 adults and children will be in crisis across the London borough of Hounslow. The FoodBox is a volunteer-led charity, set up in response to the rising number of people facing poverty in the community.

Frank Onyeka, Myles Peart-Harris and Paris Maghoma visited the Foodbox to understand how volunteers manage the organisation and provide food to those most in need. They also helped pack emergency parcels for locals.

At Sunday's Premier League fixture against Leeds United, fans were encouraged to donate non-perishable items for the Foodbox to distribute this winter.

James Beale, Brentford’s head of sustainability and community, said: "While Christmas is a time for celebrating with family and friends, we know that for many, it’s sadly a challenging period. Engaging with our community is always close to our hearts as a club, but the festive season is a particularly important time for us all to provide some extra support to those who are going through difficulty.

"The annual community visits are always something that our players enjoy doing, especially seeing the smiles that they can put on people's faces."