Newcastle Rugby Foundation celebrates 15th birthday

Wednesday 29 January 2020 Written by: Adam


The community arm of Newcastle Falcons rugby union and Newcastle Thunder rugby league clubs, the registered charity this month marked the occasion of its 15th birthday with a special gathering at Kingston Park Stadium.

[**Click here to see a video from the 15th birthday celebrations.**][1]

Based around five central pillars – club development, grassroots sport, health, education and social inclusion – the Newcastle Rugby Foundation has a proven track record of growing the game.

In addition, it continues to change lives in a positive way through its outreach and inclusion work.

Touching the lives of around 15,000 people on an annual basis through their 30 community programmes, the foundation promotes healthy living, participation opportunities and educational opportunities regardless of age, ethnicity, ability, gender or socio-economic status.

It is able to do this through the generosity of charitable donations and commercial partnerships and corporate social responsibility schemes.

Gill Harroway is just one example of a Newcastle Rugby Foundation champion, having formed part of Newcastle Falcons’ volunteer programme, the CAST.

She said: “Volunteering has given me back my confidence and also helped with the panic attacks and anxiety that I suffer from.”

Boasting 13 full-time staff and an annual spend in the region of £300,000 to £500,000 community initiatives, the foundation has also benefited from Newcastle Falcons and Thunder players donating more than 750 hours of their time each year.

Newcastle Falcons chairman Semore Kurdi said: “The Newcastle Rugby Foundation does great work and we thank everyone for their support. It wouldn’t work without everyone’s input and contribution in terms of sponsorship, time and fundraising, and we look forward to many more years of making a positive difference.”

With an ever-expanding offering it is vital that the Newcastle Rugby Foundation develops appropriate facilities to enable these positive impacts to take place in an inspiring environment, and local businesses are invited to see what partnership opportunities are available.

Whether this is by corporate sponsorship, becoming a member of our new CSR club or by helping us to raise funds for new and existing programmes, supporting the foundation enables you to build your brand while making a difference.

Support for the Newcastle Rugby Foundation does not always have to be financial. If there are ways you can help us achieve more through your in-kind support, please get in touch.

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1PORXLTLHk&t=110s