Always on
This project successfully funded on 10th May 2024, you can still support them with a donation.
Creating accessible sports for LGBTQ+ people
Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom
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Aim
We are Colchester Kings RFC, the first LGBTQ+ inclusive rugby team based in East Anglia, and we're raising funds for our club
Who are we?
We're the first gay and inclsuive rugby team in East Anglia and we're proud to represent people of all sexualities, ages, fitness levels, and experience on the pitch. Founded in June 2022, we are pushing the boundries of team sports in the East of England and welcome a membership of over 100 in our first 2 years.
Why are we crowdfunding?
Our club is unlike any other - we've experienced exponential growth since our inception and provide a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all people. Our aims to engage LGBTQ+ people in team sports has been met with a huge demand and we've experienced many people joining us and playing sports for the first time, along with players who thought they'd never play again through fear of bullying, harrasment and exclusion. But, we believe there is still more work to be done on engaging people.
We're crowdfunding to ensure that our club has a future, a place for people to get involved in team sports regardless of who they are. Our 3 main goals are:
- To prevent social isolation by providing a safe and welcoming environment
- Get more LGBTQ+ people to join in team sports
- Assist those who are financially vulnerable to ensure they can play
We're a volunteer-run community organisation and although we save by having a voluntary group of people run the club, there are still expensive overriding costs that we accept the burden of to help keep our team accessible to all members of our community.
This year our big fundraising event is a sponsored walk - 25KM for KINGS. We hope to raise £3000 that will contribute to the running of our club. With our funds, we wish to:
- Provide bursary places in the 24/25 season for those who are financially vulnerable.
- Continue to provide top-quality facilities for our team to train at throughout the year.
- Purchase medical supplies for our team that help prevent injuries.
- Help cover the entry costs for upcoming tournaments to develop our players' skills
By removing some of these barriers, we're able to engage more people in our team and welcome more Kings to pitch.
To reach our fundraising target we will do this by asking our members to take part in a sponsored walk - 25km for KINGS. We'll be working with Outdoorlads, another community organsiation, who will lead our walk and give us the expertise that we need to complete our goal.
How we’ll spend the money raised
Once raised, the money will be ringfenced by our Treasurer to ensure that the funds raised are only used for our outlined objectives. The money will be spent over a period of 12 months beginning in September 2024.
Community impact
We recognise that the Kings has become and essential part of the LGBTQ+ community in Essex and we know that our impact reaches more than just the people that take part in training. We know that queer people have been to the rugby club for the first time to watch and support our matches, for some it may have been their first-ever experience of a sports environment as an adult.
We know the positive impact that sports have on peoples health and mental wellbeing. Sport England says that almost 30% of LGBTQ+ people don't participate in sports or exercise of any kind - we believe that this is because of a lack of representative programmes that focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion, which is why our team is so important, especially in a largely rural county.
With the continued efforts of our team, we wish to have an even larger impact not only on the pitch but off it too.
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 with us. If you want to join us on our fundrasing walk, we'd love for you to join us! – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to get in touch. Just a fun idea!
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made