Harrogate Rugby Club Foundation

Aim

The Harrogate Rugby Club Foundation has been launched with one aim. To break down entry barriers to rugby for everyone in Harrogate.

Who are we?

Harrogate Rugby Club has been a central hub in Harrogate since 1871. Being the place to be on a Saturday afternoon watching Harrogate's finest compete. In recent years, the club has expanded to cater to hundreds of junior members, 250 children a week lace up their boots and run onto a rugby pitch wearing the Harrogate red, black and gold. The club has always looked to find new and inventive ways to positively impact the community; linking up with various local charities, donating to schools and getting involved with local events.

The need to positively impact the local community led to the introduction of The Harrogate Rugby Club Foundation in 2022. The foundation has a single mission. 

"From primary schools to retirement home, we are here to keep people physically and mentally fit throughout their life. Using rugby as a means to access areas of inequality, deprivation and hardship, we will ensure that everyone in the Harrogate community has the opportunity to benefit from the amazing game that is Rugby Union"

As its first act, the Foundation hired a Community Development Officer Aled Jones, to begin making links with the local community and start delivering FREE rugby sessions to schools in Harrogate.

We need your help to support that work!  

Why is this project needed?

According to the Youth Sport Trust:

When asking 1,000 parents of grassroots footballers, aged 5-16, how their football had been impacted by the pandemic and, latterly, by the cost-of-living crisis.

• 10% of players have not returned to the pitch, with 31% of parents saying that they couldn’t afford the subs and 27% not being able to afford other things such as kit or equipment
• Two thirds of grassroots players (67%) are required to have more than one pair of football boots or Astroturf trainers as a result of playing on a range of surfaces, according to parents. Sadly 27% of parents admitted their inability to afford more than one pair of boots, limiting where their child can play
• When asked if families can comfortably afford the weekly, monthly or annual subs required to be part of a club, 35% said they are already struggling to afford subs, or know they will be less able to afford the subs in the near future. A third of parents said they already can’t afford the cost of subs, but they make sacrifices elsewhere in their lives to enable their child to play (33%)

This is a picture mirrored in the grassroots rugby game as well. 

Our project to allow free school tag rugby sessions to children aged 6-11, will help offer a place where the critical benefits mental and physical benefits gained by sport can be accessed without the need for hi-cost subs and resources. Supplying club quality coaching and resources free of charge to those that need it most in the community.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Coaches

"A good coach can change a game, a great coach can change a life" - John Wooden

Without coaches, we can't do a thing. Your donation will go to funding Harrogates coaches to deliver sessions in the local schools. Ensuring that they have the means to affect as many children as possible across Harrogate. 

If we are able to achieve our £10,000 target, £8,775 will be spent on delivering 1 hour of tag rugby per week to 15 schools. For a whole year! Meaning that upwards of 225 children will have access to free rugby activities on a weekly basis. 

Equipment

Working in schools, across multiple age ranges, requires lots of different equipment. From the correct size ball to the appropriate rugby tags. Any funds we raise will go to kitting out our coaches with everything they need to create Fun, Engaging and Inclusive sessions.  

If our target is reached the remaining £1,225 will be used to purchase age-appropriate balls, cones, bibs and of course rugby tags! 

Looking ahead 

If we are able to make a great start at providing community rugby sessions in the Harrogate area, we would want to break down the barrier to participation as much as possible by creating a fund that reduces membership fees for those that need it most and truly allow rugby to be for all. We want to support families that have been affected by the pandemic and help to give children an outlet to be active, have fun and find their love for the sport. 

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 across all of our social media platforms and get your business name in front of all of our members! 

This project successfully funded on 24th March 2023