Matt King is first Player Ambassador

THE children’s ward at Warrington Hospital has signed up Wolves player Matt King as Player Ambassador.
Matt will be aiming to put smiles on the faces of young patients in his new role.
He will become a regular on the ward as he visits the children to raise their spirits during their stay, holding the role for two months before it rotates to another squad member.
Each player who honours the role will donate a signed playing jersey that will be displayed on the ward and then auctioned off at the end of their term, with the monies going direct to the ward.
There will also be an opportunity for the children once released from hospital to visit the team at a training session and have a behind the scenes look at the training life of a Rugby League player.
The idea came from the players themselves after a recent visit to the hospital.
Brian Carney, player liaison officer said: “This is a very special role as it is part of a player driven initiative with the players having come up with the idea themselves. They are all keen to get involved in the ambassador programme and assist in any fundraising for the hospital during that time.”
Matt said: “As professional sportsmen we are in the privileged position that by us simply heading down to the ward we can change the whole day for a kid in hospital. This only takes an hour out of our day and can make a big difference. I am very proud to be the first ambassador from the Wolves and will do anything I can to help.”
Children’s matron Jane Scott said: “We are delighted to have Matt King and the Warrington Wolves onboard in this unique role; it is sure to bring a lot of joy to our young patients, a lot of who are big fans of the team. The role will play a very important part in raising the spirits of the children as they receive treatment and provide a great distraction from the reason they are in hospital.”
Pictured: Matt King with eight-year-old Joshuah Rogers, who has been in hospital for six weeks after breaking his leg playing football.