By the EDP's MATTHEW SPARKES

In two week's time Norwich City will play Tranmere Rovers on the familiar turf of Carrow Road, but eagle-eyed fans may notice their slightly unusual kit.

Because for one match only Aviva has generously offered to give up their sponsorship to charity and remove their logo from players' shirts.

In its place will be the name of a charity voted for by EDP readers to take the unique honour, East Anglia's Children's Hospices, EACH.

The unique charity event is part of the insurance firm's Community Chest Challenge, promoted in the EDP, which will see the Quidenham Children's Hospice in Norfolk rewarded for 21 years of valuable work.

But the hospice will not just have its name on the Canaries' strip. There will also be a bucket collection among fans before the match, run by volunteer Aviva staff, and the special shirts will also be auctioned afterwards. The recipient of the honour last year, the Benjamin Foundation, received over £20,000 from the event as a whole and it is hoped to match it this year, despite the economic downturn.

Half was raised from the general public and Aviva kindly doubled the pot from its own pocket - a gesture it has agreed to repeat this year.

Carl Brooks, corporate fundraiser at EACH, said: "It's just unbelievable. It's been so exciting. It costs about £5.8 million a year to operate the hospice itself, and that could give 24-hour care for a child for a whole year."

Children up to 18 are cared for at the Quidenham Hospice, spending different amounts of time at its site with its large staff of carers depending on their condition and needs.

Care ranges from occasional respite visits to provide a rest for family and carers, to full-time support towards the end of their life.
"We don't hide away from that, it's what we do," said Mr Brooks.

"We've had whole families stay here, so they can spend their last moments together. It's a bright, colourful place. It's a place for living."

The Quidenham Hospice currently has six beds which are used by 92 children on an occasional basis.

Deciding who is most needy of care is just one of the difficult tasks faced by staff.

The charity is currently refurbishing part of its ex-monastery premises in the small village to add two more beds that will allow them to offer 4,500 more hours of care each year.

Nick Gibbs, sponsorship manager at Aviva, said that the lives of many of the firm's 7,000 Norwich staff would have been touched by local charities, making it important to get involved and fund-raise.

"We want to give something back to the community and do something good for local charities," he said.

"It's really enjoyable to spend a lot of your time doing things which are putting a lot of smiles on people's faces."

The shirts will be worn during the league match with Tranmere Rovers at Carrow Road on November 14, with an auction taking place once the shirts are thoroughly laundered.

Peter Waters, editor of the EDP, said he was thrilled that EACH will get the benefit of winning the promotion.

"It will be a great occasion down at Carrow Road and a wonderful opportunity not only for the charity to raise money but also to raise awareness of their important work for children with life-threatening conditions," he said.

"I'm sure the generous Norwich City fans will really get behind them on the big day."

Pictures courtesy of Archant Norfolk.