Ospreys players and staff from Morganstone visited the children’s ward at Morriston Hospital on Tuesday afternoon for the first of their annual Christmas visits.
Skipper, Alun Wyn Jones, led the players on a tour of the ward where they met with young patients and their families.
They were joined for the visit by the big man himself, Santa Claus, along with Morganstone’s Project Manager, Chris Weaver, and Community Engagement Manager, Antonia John.
The players helped Santa hand out goodies including free Ospreys goodies along with gifts provided by the staff of Morganstone, a commercial partner and shirt sponsor of the Ospreys.
Jones was joined by a host of familiar faces as they spread festive cheer on the now traditional Christmas visit, the likes of Justin Tipuric, Eli Walker, Dan Baker, Tyler Ardron and James King spending time with children, putting smiles not just on their faces but on the faces of the nursing staff as well, who always seem to enjoy the visits as much as the patients.
Although both the Ospreys and Llanelli based construction company Morganstone have a long history of giving up their time to visit the wards at Christmas, this was the first time that they have combined their visit, helping to make it even more festive then ever.
Ian Morgan Managing Director at Morganstone Ltd said
“Morganstone are delighted to return again to the children’s ward with Santa Claus and we are particularly excited about undertaking the visit this year in association with the Ospreys.
“Our staff are thrilled to be involved in this yearly event and they have been very generous in donating funds for us to buy gifts for the children. We know being in hospital especially at Christmas can be a difficult time for children and we hope that our visit brings some Christmas cheer to the children ward”
Alun Wyn Jones added:
“These visits are always something special. It’s not much to ask of the boys, to give up a couple of hours to come here and help make these children a little happier while stuck in hospital, but it can make a huge difference.
“It’s never nice for a little one to be stuck in hospital, doubly so around Christmas, so it’s really nice to be able to do something like this to give the children and their families a lift. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and, I think, pleased to see us, and hopefully the children will all be up and about again very soon.”
Ospreys Chief Executive Andrew Hore, said:
“The players thoroughly enjoy the visits, as do the children, and will always ask come the autumn when we are going into the hospitals, it really does mean something to them.
“As an organisation we are delighted to be able to make a difference to a child’s Christmas and bring a little festive cheer to those who need it most. The nurses, doctors and all of the staff do such amazing work and we are very much appreciative of the opportunity to visit the ward and give a little something back.
“As the New Year approaches we look forward to continuing our work with the local community which we view as a fundamental part of being a responsible and community-minded organisation. Volunteering our time is our way of showing gratitude for the support that we get from the entire region. We’re all hugely proud to be at the heart of the community and initiatives like this show how seriously the players take this responsibility.”
The Ospreys will also visit the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend next Monday, the 21st December.
Morganstone feature on the back of the away Ospreys jersey this season having signed up to work with the region for the next two seasons.