Leicester City pledges £1m to charity's neonatal appeal

The donation on behalf of Leicester City chairman Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha was announced at the club's end of season awards on Monday

The chairman of Leicester City has pledged to donate £1m to a hospital charity's neonatal appeal.

The pledge, by Khun Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha to Leicester Hospitals Charity, was announced at the club's end of season awards on Monday.

The charity said it was another "generous gift" from the club.

In 2016, the chairman's father Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha - who died in a helicopter crash - gifted £2m to help build a new children's hospital.

Leicester City chief executive Susan Whelan made the announcement on behalf of the chairman on Monday evening.

The 42-cot neonatal service, spread across the Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital, specialises in the care of babies in the first 28 days of their life and who have either been born early, have low weight or who have a medical condition that requires specialised treatment.

The money from the appeal will help replace and upgrade older incubators with state-of-the-art models, the charity said.

Charity director Lisa Davies said: "We've been taken by surprise by the generous gift. It's incredible news.

"Ultimately, what it'll mean is that there will be more babies living because of this donation."

Ms Davies said Leicester City had supported the charity over the years and helped fund various projects including children's intensive care units, moving the children's outpatient department and putting EpiPens into schools.

"I don't know what we would do without them to be honest," she added.

Former chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha is fondly remembered by supporters

Rishi Madlani, from the fans group Foxes Pride, said the pledge was "just incredible".

"When I see how much the owners have done for our club and city, they blow me away every time," he told BBC Radio Leicester.

"Our NHS is chronically underfunded and the owners not only do stuff for us on the pitch, but our city too.

"We are so lucky and blessed to have them."

Khun Vichai and four others were killed in a helicopter crash outside the club's King Power Stadium in 2018.