Challenge Cup Excitement Reaches Fever Pitch In Atherton
Excitement for Saturday’s rugby clash between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves is reaching fever pitch at Belong Atherton care village this week, as the dementia specialist welcomed Warriors representatives to record a personal message for its sporting heroes whilst enjoying a special preview of the club’s recent trio of silverware wins.
With the town gearing up for the Challenge Cup final showdown, some of the Cherry and Whites’ biggest fans relished getting to meet the trophies as the incumbent holders of the League Leaders’ Shield, Super League, and World Club Challenge.
The visit from the club’s Community Foundation saw residents and apartment tenants finding out more about Warriors life, asking questions and sharing happy memories from years gone by. Later, they recorded a good luck message for the players as part of a wider video of well wishes featuring local people.
Kim Calland, experience coordinator at Belong Atherton, provides more detail:
“We are huge rugby fans here and I daresay we have some of the most dedicated supporters of local teams, and so for our customers, it really is a dream come true.
“A number of them are living with dementia and were engaged with Jack and Tyler from the club, talking shop and getting an insight into what the team’s training looks like for Saturday’s game – even our Leigh Leopards and Salford Red Devils fans came for a look, and they loved it!”
Jack Corless, disability inclusion officer at Wigan Warriors Community Foundation, commented:
“It was a fantastic opportunity to meet Belong Atherton’s customers, make their week and bring a smile to their faces. As a club, community engagement is really important to us, and we’re pleased to meet with as many of our fans as possible.”