Two of our special guests were accompanied by their families to Cobham with a morning of exciting activities ahead of them, including a meet and greet with some of their heroes from the men’s first team squad.

Our visitors were treated to the best seats in the house and a viewing of training, a unique opportunity to watch as the players were put through their paces by Blues head coach Graham Potter and his coaching staff.

After the session the players spent time getting to know our guests, signing autographs and taking pictures, providing souvenirs that will evoke memories of a special day that will be cherished by everyone in attendance.

Luca, 16, who came via the Willow Foundation charity was accompanied by his brother Geno, 13, for the day and reflected on a surreal experience: ‘It was brilliant, a really nice experience, something I’ll remember forever. It was truly amazing, I’m lost for words.’

Geno was delighted to share the experience with his brother and to catch a glimpse of the action behind the scenes saying: ‘It’s been really cool to meet all the players and to see what actually goes on in the training sessions.’

Dad and lifelong Chelsea fan Jim talked about the emotions he was feeling at seeing his sons spending time with their heroes: ‘It’s been lovely to see my two boys meeting their idols and players they watch every week on TV. Seeing the smiles on their faces is really lovely.’

Ben, 16, who came via the Rays of Sunshine charity, was joined by his brother Josh, 14, and gave his thoughts on the afternoon while naming one player who left an impression on him: ‘Very good, it was very fun, I really enjoyed it. Azpilicueta, I like him a lot.’

Josh enjoyed the Q&A session with club ambassador Carlo Cudicini: ‘It was very interesting. We listened to how you get into it and what they do at the club, not just the actual footballers but how many people are involved with it. I liked meeting Mendy because of how tall he is!’

This was an experience to cherish for their parents with mum Amanda thanking the organisers for giving the family some unique memories: ‘It’s overwhelming. For somebody to organise all of this for us, it’s been a fantastic opportunity that we really appreciate.’

Dad David echoed this sentiment and hopes that his boys will reflect on their experience with fondness: ‘It’s something you remember forever. Hopefully when the boys are older, they’ll look back on this as a really special day, when they met most of the Chelsea players, a really special day.’

These community days see the Chelsea Foundation linking up with a range of charities to arrange visits for supporters and their carers, giving them a well-deserved boost in what is a difficult time for them and their families.