A YOUTH rugby club, which is all about creating a safe space for youngsters to enjoy rugby league is fundraising to enhance facilities at their ground.
The Derwent Park Rangers run sessions for under 5s,6s,7s,8s,9s,10s and 11s from their base at Jane Pitt in Mossbay, Workington.
Club chairman Vince McNicholas, who himself played for Derwent Park Rangers as a youngster and has been involved in rugby league for over 50 years, said: “It’s based on conditioning, fitness, fun, games, enjoyment, being part of a team and just basically helping each other.
“I was fetched up with Derwent Park Rangers as a kid, so it means a lot to me. I know what the game of rugby league did for me. I have met some of the best people I have ever met in my life with rugby league.
“It’s the game of rugby I love totally, because it fetches people together.”
Around 30-40 children attended the training session last Wednesday, with Vince saying there are often many more at training sessions.
Nine-year old Ella said she ‘loves training because she can practice her rugby skills’, adding that she has also enjoyed joining the club to ‘make new friends’.
Over the last few months, the club have had support from several organisations for their project to transform their home at Jane Pitt into a community hub for the children, and support with the running of the club.
They have received donations from the Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, Westfield Housing Association, RH Irvings Construction and the Prospect Sellafield Branch, for which they are very grateful.
The club have also secured £7,500 of match funding from Sport England, needing to raise £7,500 themselves to unlock the grant.
Thanks to the generosity of supporters and fundraising efforts, they have already raised £5,000 towards the total and are now making one final push to raise the remaining £2,500 before the end of August.
Fundraisers have included chairman Vince doing a 21 day fast in which he abstained from all food, drinking only water, a sponsored walk by children and their parents from the Fibrus Community Stadium to their home at Jane Pitt and much more.
Recently, the club have acquired two rugby sticks which have been erected at their Moss Bay training ground, to enhance sessions for the youngsters.
Clifton Rugby Club, ELLIOTS LTD, NUMECH, Paul Bennet of Bennet Agri & Construction Services and RH Irving Construction Ltd were also thanked for their support 'donating their time, skills and equipment to help bring the project to life'.
To find out more about the fundraiser, or the work going on at Derwent Park Rangers you can visit their Crowdfunder page.
For anyone whose children may want to join, you can simply attended training sessions, which run from 5:30pm to 6:30pm on Wednesdays and 10am-11am on Saturdays.
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