Tottenham have donated £100,000 to North Middlesex University Hospital's staff using money raised from fines issued to Erik Lamela, Giovani Lo Celso and Sergio Reguilon.
Lamela, Lo Celso and Reguilon were all sanctioned by the club for breaching coronavirus guidelines over the festive period after a picture appeared of them attending a large party when London was then under tier-four restrictions.
The club have used that money to deliver a 'Thank You' initiative to the local hospital's staff, which will fund gift vouchers to staff who have been working through the Covid-19 pandemic.
I want to apologise for a decision I made over Christmas which I deeply regret. On reflection I understand the seriousness of my actions and the impact it has on others. I am truly thankful to everyone working hard to keep us safe and I feel ashamed knowing I've let people down. — Erik Manuel Lamela (@ErikLamela) January 2, 2021
Chairman Daniel Levy said: "The club always ring-fences player fine money for good causes and we can think of no better cause to donate these funds to than North Mid's 'Thank You' initiative for staff.
"NHS staff across the country continue to make sacrifices and put themselves at risk every day to save lives and we hope this contribution will go some way towards providing the recognition that these heroes deserve.
"Although the circumstances in which we are able to provide the financial support required are regretful, we are pleased to know that we are able to contribute and look forward to working with North Mid on this fantastic initiative."
The donation continues a strong relationship between the club and the hospital after Spurs' stadium's dressing rooms, medical and media facilities were transformed to host North Mid's Women's Outpatient Services during the first lockdown, with 41,500 appointments delivered between April and July.
It is time to bid farewell to our friends at @NorthMidNHS, who will be transferring their Women's Outpatient Services, accommodated at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since April, back to the hospital over the weekend. 💙#THFC ⚪️ #COYS — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 31, 2020
The underground car park at the stadium is also used for Covid-19 testing.
North Middlesex University Hospital Trust chief executive Maria Kane said: "I should like to express a sincere and heartfelt thank you to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club for the donation of £100,000 to fully fund our 'Thank You' initiative for staff at North Mid.
"I am incredibly proud of every single person who works at North Mid and I am reminded daily of their determination, compassion and commitment to our patients and local community.
"They continue to work tirelessly in incredibly difficult circumstances and I am so pleased that we can give them the recognition they deserve through this initiative.
"It will be deeply appreciated by all of our staff, many of whom live locally and we remain proud of the wonderful partnership we have built with Tottenham Hotspur in recent years."
