The Prize
This fantastic prize is a complete holiday package prize. Included is
- An award winning 7night glamping break for up to 4 people with hot tub
- £50 voucher for dinner at Bude restaurant
- A round of crazy golf/crazy golf for 4 people
- A £50 voucher for surf lesson/SUP session.
- A £50 voucher for a massage treatment
- A £50 voucher for North Devon Wakepark
Why we are helping
Rugby holds such a special place in our hearts. In a life before East Thorne, Adam played professional rugby for 15 years whilst I also worked in professional rugby as a performance analyst. Rugby provided us both with invaluable life lessons opportunities, experiences and life long friendships.
Rugby made us capable, gritty and tenacious in the lives that followed on and without the experience it gave us, there is no way we would have tackled the challenges that got thrown our way as we moved on to different paths.
There were many people that put their confidence in us during our time in rugby that shaped the way for us both. Our hope is to #bridgethegap at a time of need and pass that on to someone who truly deserves the opportunities and breaks.
Adam met Emily just a few years ago when she came to try rugby for the first time. Adam had started to help coach the local girls rugby team after hanging up his boots. With very little family support Emily made her 40 min journey to training and games every week and immediately Adam could see huge potential. He knew there were huge confidence issues and as he grew to know Emily, he became aware of the challenges she faced at home which he knew made it even more of a challenge to attend training.
Through rugby, he armed her with his knowledge and bolstered her with his belief in her, pulling on the maturity that perhaps never should have been expected of her in day to day life. Her potential came from somewhere really deep inside and somehow the hardship and trauma she faced growing up, supported her maturity and tenacity to strive and survive. After some time coaching and mentoring, Adam (alongside fellow coach Neil Sampson) made Emily captain to show her his belief in her, in the hope she would see it too. Rubgy was her salvation. A place she achieved and thrived.
After just a few years of playing, Adam encouraged Emily to trial for Exeter College (one of the best Rugby colleges in the UK). She earned her spot above 150 other players and secured a spot for September 2024. They saw the potential in her too!
In August of 2024, just two days before she had to accept her place at the college, she called Adam in tears and told him she couldn't take the spot because she couldn't afford to pay the fees.
Without hesitation, Adam calmly just said "call them back and accept the place Emily." He put the phone down, looked me with glassy eyes and said, "we have to make this happen, OK? We can do that, right?".
In order for Emily to be at the college and uphold obligations for training and games, it requires her to board in Exeter as part of the Rugby academy. Coming from rural Cornwall, this is the only way for her to fully commit to the rugby programme that runs alongside her studies. The cost of this works out over £8k/year (for 2 years), which we have committed to uphold for her.
So, here we are ! Asking for the support from the Rugby community that we love, from the guests that loved their stays with us, from our connections, followers and friends. To help us support Emily in her place at the Rugby academy.
In exchange we will be offering a prize draw for a 7 night stay with us (worth nearly £1600) plus loads of gorgeous add ons, in association with some other lovely businesses in Bude, to try and raise the funds for her place.
We are needing to sell at least 950 tickets to cover this year.
Financially supporting, emotionally supporting and mentoring her to allow her to be the best she can be in rugby and life achievements thereafter. This one is from the heart.
So, please help us #bridgethegap so she can continue on a path of full potential and opportunity that ordinerily wouldn't have been possible.
Much Love The Blacks x