York RLFC Foundation were delighted to receive a grant of £7,780 from the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Legacy Programme to support the Club’s Wheelchair side.
Delivered in partnership between RLWC2021, The National Lottery, the Rugby Football League, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the CreatedBy Programme is a funding pot made available by the Government and The National Lottery to support the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup by growing participation in the sport.
York RLFC will be using the grant to purchase four new state-of-the-art sports wheelchairs and a host of supporting equipment, including balls, bibs, wheelchair tags and first aid kits.
The CreatedBy grant follows huge progress made by York RLFC’s Wheelchair side following its launch in December last year.
In their inaugural season in the North Division, York finished second, losing just one league match all year while a Wheelchair Rugby League Festival was also hosted as part of our Inclusion Day in May.
With more than 25 registered members, a number of dedicated volunteers to the code and training sessions held at the University of York, York College and Harrogate High School which attracted almost a hundred new players, Wheelchair Rugby League has grown substantially in the city.
We were also proud to host an England training camp and open training session earlier this year, in partnership with York Sport, while England's World Cup-winning Head Coach Tom Coyd has hosted virtual assemblies in York schools.
The rapid strides made by the Wheelchair side concluded in the RFL naming York as the Wheelchair Rugby League Club of the Year for 2023.
We were also delighted to welcome Dawn Shore as the newest member of York RLFC Foundation staff last month, joining as Inclusion Officer to help support the growth of Wheelchair Rugby League, Learning Disability Rugby League, Physical Disability Rugby League, Touch Rugby League and RugBees.
York RLFC Delivery Manager Adam Prentis said: “I am hugely grateful to the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Legacy Programme for their grant, which will allow us to continue the fantastic growth of York RLFC’s Wheelchair side in 2023.
“This funding will allow us to purchase equipment vital to maintaining the progression of Wheelchair Rugby League in York.
“We are really excited about seeing this code of the sport progress further in 2024.”
England Wheelchair General Manager Martin Coyd OBE added: "York RLFC have made a huge impact in the Wheelchair family since arriving earlier this year.
“The England National Performance Squad enjoyed an excellent preparation camp in June at the University of York and a real high point was the taster session enjoyed by a huge number of people, all ages, genders, abilities.
“York entered a tough competition in the North Division last season and more then held their own. I am sure they will be a force to be reckoned with again in 2024.
“However, I believe that success is about much more than a scoreline or a league position, it is about the values and culture of the whole club, the environment and how people feel. York will certainly win at all of these key components."
The York RLFC Foundation are seeking sponsorship to allow us to continue our vital work in the community. The Foundation had a social media reach of over 700,000 in the past year and has reached more than 23,000 people in our local community in 2023.
For more information on sponsoring the York RLFC Foundation, please email info@yorkrlfc.com or call 01904 670880 and ask for the Foundation team.
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