Children at Stepping Hill Hospital’s Treehouse ward got a surprise visit from Stockport County stars Connor Jennings and Paddy Madden, complete with the National League trophy.

Connor and Paddy, together with club president Steve Bellis, let the young patients hold the big trophy which they triumphantly won last season, propelling the team into the Football League.

Children, parents and staff alike enjoyed the visit, especially one young County super-fan, 8-year-old Bobby Molloy, who regularly goes to watch the team with his dad and grandad. He couldn’t contain his joy at meeting his footballing heroes.

Stockport County have now returned to League Two (the country’s fourth division) for the first time in 11 years after finishing top of the National League, with their final 2-0 win over Halifax win securing their promotion.

County have showed strong support in recent years for the Stockport NHS Charity, which funds additional projects for Stepping Hill Hospital and community NHS services. Club owner Mark Stott donated £75,000 to the NHS shortly after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and also granted sleeve sponsorship to the charity later that year, with a donation being made for every shirt sold.

Children’s nurse Jessie Dhaliwal, who helped organise the visit, said "I am so grateful for Steve, Connor and Paddy, putting so much energy and care into meeting our patients on the Treehouse Unit. They took time to speak to every single patient, put smiles on their faces, and even played games! There is nothing more rewarding and humbling than seeing a smile on the patients’ faces, despite what they`re going through. Stockport County brought fun to a scary experience, and that is something so special that all at Treehouse will forever be grateful for."

Stockport County Club President Steve Bellis said “It was an honour and a privilege to spend time with Paddy and Connor in the Treehouse Children’s ward. The dedication and enthusiasm showed by all the staff was infectious and it was great to be able to share our trophy with the youngsters in the ward. We firmly believe that the trophy is for the people of Stockport and as ever, every smile made it worthwhile. We hope to be able to support the children’s ward in other ways in the future.”