Four incredible individuals from Newcastle Rugby Foundation, the charitable arm of Newcastle Falcons, will be recognised for their achievements on and off the pitch at the Premiership Rugby HITZ Awards on November 22 at Twickenham Stadium.

HITZ is Premiership Rugby’s flagship education and employability programme which for 15 years has supported young people to make positive change in their lives. Working with more than 2,000 14 to 24-year-olds across England every year, the programme uses rugby’s core values to develop invaluable personal, life and employability skills which help young people get back into education, training, apprenticeships and/or employment.

Participants on the programme learn in an environment different to mainstream education where the core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship are at the heart of the delivery. The results are life-changing.

Shortlisted from the Newcastle Rugby Foundation are three young stars and one incredible member of staff, with stories of self-discipline, commitment, courage and kindness.

With the highest number of shortlisted nominees across the Premiership clubs, these individuals have worked against all odds to improve their own lives or the lives of others within this inclusive environment, fondly referred to by its participants as the ‘HITZ family’.

Melanie Magee, head of Newcastle Rugby Foundation, commented: “All of our nominees are worthy winners, and their journeys are humbling to us all at Newcastle Rugby Foundation.

“We are incredibly proud of the four individuals who have been shortlisted and for their hard work, which has been recognised. We have an amazing team here at HITZ and we couldn’t deliver the programme without their support to set young people up for life, which has a positive impact not only on the individual but on our whole community.“

Wayne Morris, community & CSR director at Premiership Rugby, said: “Congratulations to all those shortlisted in this season’s HITZ awards.

“Over the last 15 years the success rate of the programme speaks for itself, HITZ has helped over 80% of the learners move on positively. The HITZ Awards are an annual celebration of just how much rugby can change lives and the difference HITZ makes. Everyone involved in the programme should feel proud of the impact that they have made, and I look forward to celebrating together at Twickenham.”

NEWCASTLE RUGBY FOUNDATION SHORTLISTED NOMINEES

David Wilson has been shortlisted for the Champion Award. This award recognises an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to support young people on the HITZ programme in overcoming difficult personal barriers to success. They may be a member of the HITZ team or a volunteer from the local community.

David’s commitment and selfless approach to supporting HITZ learners as a volunteer stems from his former roles as a teacher and rugby coach. He uses his wealth of life experience to ensure every participant reaches their full potential. David’s unwavering dedication to HITZ is evident for all as he regularly attends sessions and Newcastle Falcons home games as well as supporting learners to raise funds for the programme through the Foundation Flutter.

David was keen to support young people making positive life changes in his local community after he heard about the impact of the HITZ programme in 2022. His caring and empathetic nature makes him an ideal mentor for learners on the programme who often describe him as ‘inspiring’, connecting with them to provide encouragement and guidance shaped from his own experience.

An example is where David instinctively took a learner, who recently faced the loss of two close family members, under his mentorship. He improved their confidence by encouraging conversations with other learners and people at the club as a match-day volunteer. David’s gift of time, coupled with his wisdom, has developed this learner’s understanding of the game and confidence to the point they are now volunteering as a rugby coach at their local club, with plans to progress onto Level 3 Sports Coaching with HITZ this year.

Lauren McLean has been shortlisted for the Academic Achiever Award. This award recognises the journey a young person on HITZ has taken in their academic development, whilst also acknowledging their personal pathway since joining the programme.

Lauren has achieved incredible progress in a short space of time. As a victim of homophobia and bullying during her time at school, she suffered from very low self-confidence and struggled to focus on her education. Joining HITZ without the qualifications needed to be accepted onto her preferred further education, Lauren became withdrawn and found forming friendships difficult.

After HITZ recommended she volunteer at a coaching camp, which she embraced using her experience to help children struggling with nerves during games, Lauren shone. She received incredible feedback from parents giving her a much-needed confidence boost. This led to Lauren successfully interviewing for roles at subsequent Newcastle Falcons coaching camps and other work placements at the club. 

Her strong work ethic was rewarded with a part-time job in the Newcastle Falcons’ corporate hospitality team on match days. Now with experience and empathy from her own low self-esteem, Lauren has become a mentor to others at HITZ struggling with confidence. She is a popular friend in the group who encourages others to be true to themselves, helping them to be comfortable with who they are, regardless of sexuality, gender, race, religion or background.

It is Lauren’s progression that inspires others to follow in her footsteps and complete their education as well as reaping the rewards of volunteering.  With aspirations to become a police officer, Lauren is progressing onto Level 3 Law and works part-time as a greeter in corporate hospitality.

Jan Farkas has been shortlisted for the Physical Activity Award. This award recognises a young person for their progress and development towards leading a more active and healthier lifestyle both on the HITZ programme and in their personal lives. 

Jan has been on a remarkable journey of self-discipline and belief, never giving up on his goals. During pandemic lockdowns Jan gained weight and subsequently lost confidence, mentally and physically, to participate in sport. One day, he decided to take control of his situation and make a positive change to his health. This consisted of devising his own food and exercise regime which provided the structure he lacked and motivated him through challenging times. Jan lost an impressive 75kg resulting in him feeling fitter, healthier and having higher self-esteem when it came to playing sport. Before joining HITZ, Jan also struggled with education and feeling like an outsider due to his size and English not being his first language.

His love of rugby provided an outlet, but the pandemic caused him to fall out of the game and lose all confidence in his abilities, as he didn’t find another club. His sense of despair was compounded by his father becoming seriously ill which required Jan to take on care responsibilities for his younger brother, act as a translator and do regular housework. Despite all this, Jan never gave up honouring the promise he made to himself and continues to maintain a positive attitude since enrolling on a Level 2 sports coaching course.

HITZ provided Jan with a focus and purpose during difficult times, and he consistently continues to receive positive feedback from coaches and participants at the Falcons Community coaching camps.

Reece Wray has been shortlisted for the Young Achiever award, which recognises and rewards a young person who, by overcoming a range of challenges, has worked the hardest to progress on their journey back to education, training or employment. 

Reece has shown bravery beyond measure in the face of adversity and despite challenging times, has embraced the HITZ programme to better himself. After the tragic losses of his father and grandfather, Reece joined HITZ at his darkest time mentally with his confidence at an all-time low. Unsurprisingly, the events had impacted his relationship with his mother and his education suffered as a result.

Reece left school with no Maths or English GCSEs and, despite his best efforts, caused a further plummet of confidence that left his future path uncertain. Once at HITZ, Reece grew in strength, embracing the programme and saying yes to every opportunity. Volunteering at his local football and rugby clubs, on Newcastle Falcons match days as mascot ‘Flash the Falcon’, as well as speaking in front of large groups, Reece has been pushed out of his comfort zone and demonstrated commitment to improving his confidence.

With his change in attitude and passing his Maths qualification, he now sees the value of focusing on academics first and allowing friendships to develop naturally at the appropriate time, rather than during classes at the detriment of other’s learning. Reece aspires to become a professional coach after discovering his passion for nurturing others in sports by mentoring U8s at his local grassroots club. This formed part of his Level 2 Sports Coaching qualification and he now plans to progress to Level 3 on his quest to carve out a much brighter future for himself.

This season, the HITZ programme celebrates its 15th anniversary.

HITZ began in a field in Hackney back in 2008 and has evolved into the education and employability programme that we see today. In that time, it has achieved some huge milestones including over 22,000 enrolments and 83% progressing immediately into education, employment or training after their time with HITZ.