
HITZ participant heads for Parlimentary awards
One of Newcastle Falcons HITZ programme participants will represent the club at this summer’s Premiership Rugby Parliamentary Community Awards next week, as community rugby programmes continue to transform lives on and off the pitch.
Courtney Bell has been nominated for the BREAKTHRU Achiever of the Year award which recognises participants who have excelled in any education, health or social inclusion programme, with Bell joining representatives of Gloucester and Wasps at the Houses of Parliament.
After dropping out of mainstream college, she was referred onto the Hitz programme where she has thrived from the informal and practical learning environment.
This has enabled her to move forward with her education and get closer to her dream job of working with disabled children.
Being part of HITZ has allowed Courtney to grow in confidence, become more comfortable in social situations and she now believes that she is going somewhere in life and given her a pathway towards her dream job.
She is now volunteering with the Falcons Community Foundation on match days and holiday camps as well as the European Finals weekend in Newcastle.
Her passion for working with young people has lead to her being offered employment once she has completed the Hitz Learning Academy.
Using rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship, HITZ supports young people not in education, training or employment to get back into education, training, apprenticeships or employment.
For more information about the HITZ programme at Newcastle Falcons, contact David Shotton by emailing david.shotton@newcastle-falcons.co.uk