Already a thriving community hub, secretary Ian Mclean says Horden & Peterlee Rugby Club is one step closer to completing the jigsaw thanks to the intervention of the NatWest RugbyForce programme.
The Eden Park-based club have been hard at work helping families in the local area during the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering care packages to those in need and food to the local food bank.
Such a focus on giving back to the community has been central to infrastructural plans at Horden & Peterlee since their move to their current premises in 2016, with various ideas contributing to a long-term development plan.
This summer the club is one of eight across the country to receive the support of NatWest and England Rugby to improve its facilities - with young volunteers from charity Volunteer It Yourself helping to undertake work that Mclean admits might have otherwise taken years to complete.
Their project has focused on creating a new social space for club members of all ages and backgrounds, and Mclean thinks the work will have wide-reaching positive long-term effects for all involved.
He said: “Since we moved to where we are now we’ve tried to improve what was basically a derelict building into something really attractive and welcoming, for rugby but for the surrounding community as well.
“We’ve gutted the building, rewired the electrics and we’ve got various improvement projects in our mind at the moment.
“We’re focused on trying to give something back, and we identified an area that was an office and a kitchen as somewhere we could build a well-being area, with some gym equipment in it, for use by anyone aged over 16.
“As restrictions have eased people have started wanting somewhere to go. We’re keen to show we’re not standing still, and that we have facilities that can encourage people to come down and get involved, for rugby or otherwise.”
Now into its 13th year, NatWest RugbyForce is a national programme developed in partnership with England Rugby which provides an opportunity for rugby clubs to open their doors to volunteers to help make improvements to their clubs.
The NatWest RugbyForce programme, and support for the grassroots game more generally, is something that Mclean believes is vital for the health of rugby and the communities that it brings together.
He added: “We’ve worked with NatWest RugbyForce on several occasions over the years, and as a result we’ve undertaken other projects such as creating a small play area and planting a number of trees and shrubs across our facility.
“A few years ago parents would just drop their kids off and pick them up again, but now because the club is a nicer place to be and we have new and improved spaces, people are encouraged to get more involved.
“The club’s value to the community is only increasing, and this sort of support is crucial to that. We’ve got plenty of more plans up our sleeve – including a small extension for drop-in centres and functions – that we hope will continue our journey going forward.”
NatWest is an Official Partner of England Rugby. NatWest RugbyForce is a national programme developed in partnership with England Rugby to help rugby clubs get set for tomorrow. @NatWest_Rugby @EnglandRugby
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