North Anston: Bluebell Wood has the X Factor as stars Sam Bailey, Luke Friend and Rough Copy visit hospice

Contestants from the X Factor took a break from their UK tour last week to visit children at Bluebell Wood Hospice.

Children recieved a very special surprise when the stars including Sam Bailey, Luke Friend, Sam Callahan and Rough Copy arrived at the North Anston hospice.

The stars spent time chatting with the children and families and even gathered around the piano to sing some of their hit songs.

Courtney Allen, 17, took a shine to star Luke Friend as they spent time talking on a walk around the grounds of the hospice.

Courtney suffers from muscular dystrophy and uses Bluebell Wood for respite care.

“I was so star stuck to meet them. It’s a once in a lifetime experience and I’m such a huge fan of Luke Friend so for him to sing to me personally was amazing,” Courtney said.

After meeting the X Factor stars at the hospice, Courtney attended that evening’s show and even received a special mention from Luke.

“Coming to visit Bluebell Wood has been an absolute privilege. To be able to talk to the children and families first hand has been an inspiring experience. The support that is provided at the hospice is amazing and I would personally urge everyone to get behind this amazing charity and do all they can for Bluebell Wood.” Luke said.

The Bluebell Hospice team look after children with a vast range of complex medical needs and support the whole family on their life journey offering respite care, day care provision, community support, and end of life treatment.

Claire Rintoul, chief executive at Bluebell Wood, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in organising the visit and to the contestants for making some amazing memories for our children. We were overwhelmed by the contestants’ genuine interest in the children and the hospice itself and it was a fantastic afternoon for everyone.”

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