Leicester City FC pledges £2m to children's hospital

Leicester City FC owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha celebrates with the players as the Foxes become Premier League champions

The owner of Leicester City FC has pledged to make a £2m donation to help build a new children's hospital.

Thai billionaire businessman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has promised to give the cash to Leicester Hospitals Charity after LCFC's first top-flight title.

The team at Leicester's Children's Hospital were "overwhelmed" for the "gift" towards the £30m project.

The club's chief executive Susan Whelan made the announcement at the Foxes' end of season awards on Tuesday night.

Leicester City lifted the Premier League trophy in front of jubilant fans after a 3-1 win against Everton at the King Power Stadium on Saturday

Last week, Leicester City FC were confirmed Premier League champions in one of the greatest sporting stories of all time.

But the party got into full swing as Claudio Ranieri's players lifted the trophy following their final home game of the season on Saturday.

Fans turned out in their thousands to join in with the celebrations

Ms Whelan said: "It's very important for every fortunate thing that happens to you in your life, you must give back. That's really integral to everything we do.

"Got a call from Mr Vichai he said to pledge £2m to Leicester Hospitals Charity.

"This is through the Srivaddhanaprabha family, this is King Power, this is Leicester City Football Club saying thank you to the city of Leicester.

"You have opened your hearts to us. We are so very privileged and pleased to be a part of that."

Leicester Hospitals Charity plans to build a new £30m children's hospital in the city

The city's children's services are currently based at the Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) and Glenfield Hospital, but the plan is to bring them all into a single new Children's Hospital at the LRI.

Dr Johannes Visser, of Leicester's Children's Hospital, said the project would "involve enormous amounts of work... to create purpose built space" for the young people.

"This gift from Leicester City Football Club will help us make these plans a reality."

Debbie Adlerstein, head of fundraising at Leicester Hospitals Charity, said the donation would put them in the "Premier League of children's hospitals".