AN AFC Bournemouth player has been spending the season quietly volunteering with a homeless charity.

Cherries defender Jack Stacey has been volunteering at St Stephen’s Hall in Bournemouth at the Hope for Food charity and was only discovered by a social media post by Bournemouth Police.

Jack said: “I got in touch with the charity when I saw they were partnered with AFC Bournemouth at the start of the season.

“They have a soup kitchen on Thursday and Sunday every week, so every Thursday I’ll go down there, Junior [Stanislas] will often come down with me, and we’ll hand out clothes and they also have hot food for anyone that needs it.”

The charity, founded in 2012, provides two community meals each week and supplies food hampers weekly to families referred to them. 

The footballer added: “They get around 60 people there every week and we also hosted a Christmas dinner. Everyone at the charity is a volunteer and they do some great work. 

“It’s really nice to see the work they do firsthand. It’s also eye-opening to see on our doorstep how people are living. 

“We’ve received donations from our families, the lads in the changing room have given me clothes to take down there so it’s been good to see the impact that that can have for people. 

“They do some great work, I’m only a very, very small part compared to the people who volunteer down there, no-one takes a salary, it’s just done out of the goodness of their heart."

Brian Sutherns, trustee and homeless liaison at Hope for Food, said: "Both Jack and Junior have been very generous with their time getting to know our guests and helping distribute clothing, sleeping bags, toiletries.

"They really have stepped up and shown a real commitment to supporting the charity in the work we do and we have loved having them involved.

"They have joined an amazing group of volunteers that give their time,  week in week out to provide meals and support to between 400 and 500 guests each month."