Who are we?
Rothbury Wrestling Academy (RWA) is a community of wrestlers of all ages in rural Northumberland UK, who compete with strength, speed and agility in the traditional sport of Cumberland and Westmorland style wrestling.
The supporters of RWA volunteer their time and skills freely as they are passionate about preserving a sport that has been practised for centuries in the grass rings of country shows. Our head-coach, Jason, continues the wrestling legacy of his father and his daughters and son continue to wrestle. The local community is keen that this fascinating and thrilling sport continues down the generations as part of our cultural heritage.
Jimmy P has wrestled from age 12 to 42, having once been 'bet a tanner' that he wouldn't have a go and he now shares his passion in encouraging younger wrestlers.
Old and young wrestlers came together recently at the mart in Rothbury and entertained a huge audience despite our disintegrating mats which must now be held together with tape...
Why are we crowdfunding?
We are really committed to preserving this traditional sport, and to do so we need our own set of wrestling mats, as we currently borrow old mats from a local school. These are badly worn and no longer fit-for-purpose. In addition, we require a mobile trailer to securely store and transfer these mats to and from wrestling venues. This is an essential need to continue the coaching and the costs amount to £8000. We sincerely hope that you will help us to achieve this target.
As a vibrant community of wrestling enthusiasts in north Northumberland, we aim to encourage young wrestlers who have to travel considerable distances to compete in these unique sporting skills and we minimise costs, through donations from our community, to enable participation regardless of income. We rely on the goodwill, kindness and contributions of friends and families who equally value our mission as it reflects our heritage, culture and rural sporting tradition.
We encourage collaboration to promote our sport by organising lively outdoor competitions across a summer season of country shows. We regularly give demonstrations in local schools to bring together older experts and novice wrestlers, thereby connecting people across generations. We train regularly throughout the winter and are delighted that more girls are joining Rothbury Wrestling Academy. This is a sport that is warmly inclusive of all backgrounds, ages and abilities and is therefore a positive force for social connection and building strong relationships. We very much consider our wrestling community as family.
Rothbury Wrestling Academy belongs to The Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling Association (CWWA) and, as well as competing regularly in country shows across Northumberland and Cumbria, this unique form of back-hold wrestling connects us internationally with Brittany, Scotland, Iceland, Spain, Sardinia and Austria. Our wrestlers travel annually to compete in Brittany where the same spirit of community is extended to welcome us as fellow wrestlers and old friends.
How we’ll spend the money raised
If, through your generosity, we are lucky enough to meet our fundraising target of £8000, we would put new practise mats into direct use. The winter is a focus for weekly indoor coaching and the mats are vital equipment. Without these we cannot train.
We will also seek match funding to help us achieve our target, as the costs of running our wrestling academy rely so much on the goodwill of our community. The more we raise, the more we can invest in preserving this valuable sporting tradition for all.
Community impact
As an ancient tradition, Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling holds significant and historical importance. It has deep Celtic roots and is a cherished part of the cultural heritage of traditional agricultural communities. It is a vibrant part of our local sporting culture and has been supported by our community over centuries. We ask you to support us in preserving a sport that is skilful, energetic and fascinating to watch. It develops champions, delights spectators and brings communities together. Please help our next generation of Rothbury wrestlers...
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!
Thank you so much for your support.
The Rothbury Wrestlers at RWA.