- Select donates front-of-shirt Reading FC sponsorship for special match
- Puts the spotlight on New Life Special Care Babies
- Charity devoted to saving the lives of babies born too sick or too early
- Read a heart-warming case study which illustrates the charity's importance
(Florence left, Matilda right)
Twin sisters are set to be VIP guests at Reading FC’s Select Car Leasing stadium - and it’s for a very special reason.
On March 14th, for Reading’s home match against Plymouth, 10-year-old siblings Florence and Matilda Jefferys will enjoy a pitch-side experience to savour.
They’ll be helping to shine a light on New Life Special Care Babies, a charity devoted to saving the lives of babies born too sick or too early and which donates specialist equipment to hospitals across the UK.
The New Life logo will also be emblazoned across the players’ shirts for the match, with the organisation having been gifted a one-off sponsorship opportunity by Select Car Leasing.
Rewind to late December 2015, and proud parents Russ and Jessica Jefferys were welcoming Florence and Matilda to the world.
But things hadn’t gone according to plan.
(Matilda left, Florence right)
The girls weren’t due to arrive until early March, 2016, meaning they were born ten weeks prematurely, weighing just under 3 lbs each.
When mum Jessica’s waters broke at a family gathering, she was rushed to Great Western Hospital in Swindon, emergency teams placed on standby, and incubators prepared.
Dad Russ, 42, describes that ‘scary time’; there had been no indications the girls would be born early and he hadn’t even finished decorating the nursery.
Florence and Matilda were transferred to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital due to a lack of space, taking them further from their home at the time in Kintbury, West Berkshire.
Russ, director of a marketing consultancy firm and from Baydon, Wilts, explains: “It was all pretty traumatic, very stressful and Jess and I were operating on adrenaline, trying to process the unknowns. The girls were in incubators, intubated and then using CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machines to aid their breathing.
“We spent so much time sitting next to them, listening to the bleeping of the monitors, unable to do the simple things like holding them or feeding them - all the normal things you want to do as a new parent.
“And that’s when we noticed the ‘New Life’ charity stickers on the side of some of the machines that had been donated to the hospital.
“We weren't aware of the charity at the time but I got in touch as soon as we all got home to tell them, ‘Whoever you are and whatever you’re doing, you’re making a difference’.”
(Reading FC defender Andy Yiadom wearing the one-off New life shirt)
After 4 weeks they were transferred back to Swindon, then after a total of 54 days in hospital, the girls were eventually home.
Non-identical twins Florence and Matilda are now 10 years old and thriving, with no legacy whatsoever from their premature birth. They’re also ‘best mates’ according to Russ, throwing themselves into activities like kickboxing and dance.
Russ became a trustee of New Life Special Care Babies and the couple have continued to support them in their fundraising, taking part in various events, including a Three Peaks Challenge with Jessica’s siblings and father, Florence and Matilda’s grandfather.
He adds: “The equipment that New Life provided to the hospitals made a massive difference to our girls' lives when they needed it most. It’s a phenomenal charity.”
Jessica, a product manager, adds “The care we received in both hospitals was outstanding. But the shame of it all is that the kind of equipment donated by New Life simply isn't standard in every hospital - it takes the work of people raising money to make it happen. We’re incredibly grateful New Life exists and we’re doing what we can to raise its profile.”
New Life Special Care Babies was founded in 1995 by CEO Trevor Goodall (above).
In June 1995, Trevor’s twin sons, Joshua and Samuel, were born three months prematurely, each weighing just over 1lb, at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon. Despite their fight, they both died after one week.
New Life was created as a legacy in their memory.
New Life has now raised more than £2m to fund NHS equipment while helping the lives of more than 22,000 children.
Some of the equipment New Life regularly purchases for hospitals includes incubators, ventilators, lights, express pumps, and £35,000 critical care machines, which cool the temperature of newborn infants that have suffered a bleed on the brain while increasing their chances of survival without brain damage. Not every NHS hospital has one.
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(Trevor Goodall with Reading FC midfielder Charlie Savage)
Trevor said: “Having the New Life logo on the Reading FC shirts for the Plymouth game is an amazing achievement for the charity.
“Select Car Leasing has been massive supporters of New Life for many years and this sponsorship opportunity is the icing on the cake for us. It really does mean the world to me and the awareness it will generate will really help our cause.
“Reading FC have also really maximised our involvement at this match.
“Of course, helping babies is what we do best and the success stories always make me feel immensely proud. To see two girls who had to fight to survive in their first few weeks come through it all, and who are now loving life, means everything to me. They’ll be with us to help us celebrate this moment
“Florence and Matilda’s story is just one of hundreds of examples and to see what New Life has achieved makes the legacy of my sons Joshua and Samuel even more special.”
In January 2025, the Great Western Hospital in Swindon opened a new Children’s Emergency Unit. The facility was officially unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen Camilla and is named in honour of New Life Special Care Babies.
(Mark Tongue, CEO and Co-Founder at Select Car Leasing, left, with New Life's Trevor Goodall, right)
Mark Tongue, CEO and Co-Founder at Select Car Leasing, says he’s proud to be able to donate front-of-shirt sponsorship to a charity close to its heart.
He said: “We’ve supported New Life Special Care Babies for several years now, while we’re also the Principal Partner of Reading FC.
“On March 14th for Reading’s home game against Plymouth, those two worlds will meet.
“We’re delighted to work together closely with Reading FC to donate front-of-shirt sponsorship to such an incredible charity and we hope to tell the world about what it has been able to achieve.
“New Life is making a real difference to countless lives across the UK - and Florence and Matilda are the perfect illustration of how families are supported.”
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