Players and supporters are pitching in to help Blues make it an extra special Christmas for a whole host of deserving people across Birmingham.

As part of the club's Our City, Our Vision initiative Birmingham City will provide festive cheer for a number of great causes across the region throughout December with Blues Give a Christmas Wish.

Young people unfortunate to be spending Christmas on hospital wards at both Heartlands and Birmingham Children's Hospital will be given a huge boost when the entire Blues first team squad pay them a visit to hand out presents paid for by the players and Birmingham City Football Club and sign autographs.

The trips to the wards are possible thanks to the support of Henley-in-Arden based Johnsons Coaches who have kindly donated two coaches, plus the services of drivers, for a day to take the players to the hospitals.

Birmingham City staff members will take part in a big 'Sleep-out' organised by Birmingham-based youth homelessness charity St. Basils in early December and all sponsorship money raised will be handed over to the project which, amongst its great work, runs a network of hostels throughout the city.

The courageous work of Armed Forces men and women from across the region, many of whom will be spending Christmas at home in Birmingham after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, is being recognised by Blues.

Soldiers are able to take advantage of tickets for just £5 for the Blues versus Reading game at St. Andrew's on Saturday 20 December and the same offer is available to patients and the dedicated staff at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, based at Selly Oak Hospital, the national centre for treatment of military personnel badly injured whilst serving their country.

Supporters can get involved in Blues Give a Christmas Wish by nominating charities of their choice and telling the club why they think they are worthy of free tickets to the Reading match. Two deserving stories chosen by the club will lead to the charities in question receiving no less than 50 tickets each for the Championship encounter.

Fans nominating a deserving cause should tell us the reason why the organisation should land 50 tickets by emailing christmaswish@bcfc.com or click here to complete a nomination form. The closing date is Friday 12 December.

The Reading game will also see a 'guard of honour' when 22 children from Birmingham Children's Hospital get the once in a lifetime chance to lead the two teams out onto the hallowed St. Andrew's turf for the Coca-Cola Championship clash.

Birmingham City captain Lee Carsley was amongst those launching Blues Give a Christmas Wish today (Wednesday 26 November) at St. Andrew's, along with season ticket holder Nicola Pollard, nurse Charlotte Smith andsoldier Lance Corporal Kyle Holder.

Carsley said: "It's fantastic that Blues have committed to do so much across the community this Christmas and I'm delighted to support the campaign. We'll be doing all we can to put as many smiles on faces as possible."

Here are some more details on those who took part in the St. Andrew's launch of Blues Give a Christmas Wish...

LEE CARSLEY

Experienced midfielder Lee Carsley is Birmingham born and bred and grew up in the Sheldon area. The 34-year-old Republic of Ireland international has had a hugely successful career, listing the likes of Coventry, Derby, Blackburn and Everton amongst his previous clubs, and joined Blues in the summer from the Goodison Park outfit on a free transfer. The two-year deal brings Carso, as he's affectionately known, back to his beloved home city.

NICOLA POLLARD

Birmingham University radiology student Nicola Pollard, 20, has been a Blues fan all her life and a season ticket holder for the last seven years. Her seat is in the Railway Stand at St. Andrew's. Away from her studies Nicola, who lives in Bartley Green, is a keen volunteer for The Stonehouse Gang, a Selly Oak-based charity aiming to give young people aged 6-25 skills, inspiration and projects away from school and work. Nicola is delighted Blues will be donating 100 tickets free to charities/community groups for the Reading game at St. Andrew's on Saturday 20 December and she has cast her vote and nominated The Stonehouse Gang to go into the hat. Fellow Blues fans can nominate their chosen charity by emailing christmaswish@bcfc.com or logging on to www.bcfc.com and completing an application form with their reasons why their chosen charity is such a deserving cause.

CHARLOTTE SMITH

Lifelong Blues supporter Charlotte Smith, 30, is just one of the many amazing medical staff who care for and rehabilitate poorly and injured children at Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH). Charlotte, who lives in Hall Green, has worked at BCH since 2003 and for the last 18 months has been part of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. Over the festive period Blues players will visit the children on the wards at both BCH and Heartlands Hospital and hand out presents paid for by the squad and Birmingham City Football Club. At the game against Reading at St. Andrew's on Saturday 20 December, 22 children from BCH will form a 'guard of honour' and lead the teams out onto the hallowed turf.

LANCE CORPORAL KYLE HOLDER

Another avid Blues fan, Lance Corporal Kyle Holder, is a tank transporter with the Royal Logistics Corps and has been based in Stafford for the last 12 months. From Acocks Green, LCpl Holder, 20, is a former pupil of Archbishop Ilsley RC School. He is just one of the many hard-working and courageous members of the armed forces and their families who will be coming along to the Blues versus Reading game on Saturday 20 December for a 'military special' of just £5 per ticket. The offer is also extended to the members of staff at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine based at Selly Oak Hospital who do a tremendous job in treating and caring for soldiers injured - often severely - whilst on tours of duty.