Vote now for Scouting for Rugby

Coventry scouts are urging people to ‘be prepared’ and vote for a community project which will support a generation.

Engage!, a new local values-based rugby initiative, is competing for the chance to win £25,000 to deliver the Scouting for Rugby project.

Scouting for Rugby aims to celebrate the 2015 Rugby World Cup by providing a calendar of events and activities throughout the summer to more than 2,500 scouts throughout the city. But the project can only be launched with the support of the Aviva Community Fund, a competition which awards funding to projects that can make a positive difference in the community.

Paul Breed, of Coventry Sports Foundation which hosts the Engage! programme, said:

We really need every scout group, rugby club member, supporter, family, friend and the general public to get behind us and vote for this life-changing project.

Nothing like this has ever been done before and we have a real opportunity to engage directly with scout groups across the city and deliver a long-lasting legacy through values-based rugby activities.

Delivered as part of the Engage! programme, Scouting for Rugby will begin with a six-week programme where each participant will be taught the core values of the game including teamwork, respect, integrity, discipline and enjoyment.

This aims to provide social and educational benefits as a way of developing healthy, well-rounded, confident young people, who have greater access to opportunities and a real sense of belonging within their local communities.

High-quality rugby skills coaching will also be provided as well as training workshops for scout leaders and fellow volunteers.

The young people will also take part in a celebratory rugby festival, held to mark the end of the project, with each scout group representing one of the 20 participating countries in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Andrew Morris, deputy county commissioner for Coventry Scouts, said:

The Scouting for Rugby project will of great benefit to scouts in Coventry as it will continue to develop the teamwork that current scouting activities support and nurture.

It will also give them a different challenge to tackle and drive forward core issues around health and well-being.

Some of our young people already take part in the sport at school and club level. The project will give them the opportunity to enhance their skills, and will also allow those who are not currently playing to learn and develop a new skill.

Rugby is a fantastic sport for Coventry. Not only do we live not far from the home of Rugby which is just down the road, but we have two excellent clubs being Coventry Rugby Club and Wasps within the city.

The young people are extremely excited about the project and are hoping for the support not only of our fellow members but from members of the public as well.