Who are we?
Reading RFC is community rugby club that has proudly forged the way in keeping Rugby Union in step with the needs of the local communities in Berkshire. The groundbreaking ‘firsts’ the club has achieved have genuinely changed lives for people who previously had no opportunity to engage in the sport of Rugby Union and its unique ethos. We offer cradle to grave rugby for males and females of all ages and abilities in a social and vibrant community hub
The Berkshire Brigands are the county's first mixed ability rugby team. Inspired by a young man with Down Syndrome, Duncan Stonehouse, so he can play competitive contact rugby alongside his brother Drew and sister Evie. The Brigands offer the opportunity to those with learning disabilities, autism and other barriers, to make friends and be active in a sport that they love when they would otherwise be excluded.
Why are we crowdfunding?
As a community club that offers the range of rugby we do we are short on space. This can be managed during the Summer but in winter our players need to be under floodlights. As with most grassroots clubs we struggle with money which has not been helped with the current cost of living crisis. Since we are trying to invest in the modernisation of our facilities this leaves very little extra for smaller projects. We are in desperate need of more training space during the winter and the ability to illuminate our main pitch would help address the medical needs of our wonderful Brigands team. At present they are forced to train in a small area far from the Clubhouse where their parents cannot watch and support them and this also makes it difficult to deal with their medical needs. We have tried to move them closer to the club but the lack of lighting means that our visually impaired players struggle to participate fully in games and training.
[upload an image here]
How we’ll spend the money raised
We are raising funds to buy a set of mobile LED floodlights that will provide illumination of the pitch closest to the club to enable our brigands and other teams make use of the space. These floodlights are RFU approved, run off batteries and are quick and easy to deploy and put away.
Community impact
Our Mixed Ability and Walking Rugby teams are the most vulnerable to the health impacts of lack of mobility and broad exercise. By providing this equipment we will be able to encourage more of these groups to participate in community rugby with all the associated health and social benefits. By using low level LED lights we will be providing an environmentally sensitive solution to our needs as well as avoiding the light pollution and costs of large traditional floodlight towers. By providing an extra set of lights we will also be able to open up our facilities to other sports groups who need light to run their activities.
How you can play your part
There are four simple ways to help us reach our target, and make this project a reality.
1. Make a pledge. Don’t delay if you’re going to support us because momentum is key to our success!
2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.
3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters. We will give you a shout out!
4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!