PARENTS have helped celebrate the official opening of a home that supports the families of sick children.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities’ 53-bed ‘home away from home' facility at Southampton General Hospital has been up and running since November last year.

But it has now received the seal of approval from former Saints star Francis Benali who chatted to parents and siblings who are staying at the facility before wowing fans with some of his ball skills.

The footballer also signed a commemorative canvas poster.

The £7m building is designed to provide free accommodation for relatives of patients on the children’s wards for as long as they need it while their child needs treatment – whether that is a week or a year.

All bedrooms are en suite and contain two single beds and two pull-out beds while there are also wheelchair accessible rooms on each floor complete with wet rooms.

The house, which also has communal kitchens, lounges and playrooms, employs ten staff both full and part-time but also relies on help from volunteers.

Daily Echo:

Francis Benali demonstrates his football skills infront of Ross Merritt and Veronica Lewis and thier son Jamie (18 months) and Sandra Brown and her son Jack.

The charity, which has a 30-year lease for the site, needs to raise £500,000 per year to run the house and relies on donations and support from the public.

Residents in Southampton have been busy fundraising since the project began.

Ronald McDonald House Charities is an independent charity set up in 1989 which is funded by corporate donations from restaurant chain McDonald’s and its business partners plus public donations.

There are 14 such Ronald McDonald Houses in the UK.

Guests at the opening heard from Sandra Brown, a mother from Jersey, who is among the first to stay at the Ronald McDonald House while her son Jack, 15, is being treated for bleeding on the brain.

She said: “The Ronald McDonald House has brought normality back into our life.

“I have been able to stay near Jack while he is being treated in hospital and not worry about the expense of travel to and from Jersey or paying for accommodation. “It’s a godsend and it will always have a special place in my heart.”