‘Tackling Challenges’
The ‘Tackling Challenges’ initiative aims to raise vital funds to enable the Hull FC Community Foundation maintain vital services that support some of the most vulnerable young people growing up in Hull today.
‘The Power of Sport’
Hull FC Community Foundation is the official registered charity of professional rugby league side Hull FC. Using the power of rugby league and the strong local influence of Hull FC, we are committed to making the biggest difference possible to the lives of those who require our support through the delivery of needs led projects targeting four key agendas: Participation, Education, Health and Social Inclusion. Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of children, young people and adults through participation in sports and physical activity, and, to raise the aspirations and skills of young people through our bespoke learning and training programmes. Our team of passionate, hard-working community coaches support over 20,000 participants each year in projects that reach all corners of the East Yorkshire region. At the heart of our organisation is an understanding of the vital role that sport and can play in engaging, educating and inspiring people of all ages and abilities. We are proud to partner with a number of public, private, and third sector organisations who share this ethos to make a positive difference.
‘Engage, Educate, and Inspire’
The charity has a clear ethos to engage, educate and inspire the local community as it aims to bounce back from Covid-19. There is a growing fear that the pandemic will have a lasting impact in areas of high deprivation, and with Hull the fourth most deprived authority in England, the challenges facing young people in particular will be significant in terms of securing employment. We recognise clearly that being unemployed can pose a significant challenge to both physical and mental health, leading to feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
Since 2013, the Hull FC Community Foundation has delivered a range of health and education based projects that have successfully engaged young adults aged 16-24 who have challenges around mental health. In the last year alone, 110 individuals have accessed delivered schemes for support. These include the Hull FC Sports College, which provides opportunities for young people to attain accredited qualifications in sport, employability and functional skills as well as receive expert mentoring from local business partners; The ‘Be Active, Be Healthy’ project, which provide access to daily physical activity opportunities recognising the role exercise can play in promoting positive mood; and the Foundation’s Learning Disability Super League team which provides opportunities for young players with a learning disability to represent Hull FC in competitive fixtures against other teams.
Whilst our projects aim to deliver a range of personal outcomes, most importantly, we aim to create an environment that promotes ‘community spirit’ where young people can develop new lifelong friendships in a place they feel safe and secure.
‘Making A Difference’
Young people who access support through our delivery projects report improved feelings of confidence, self-esteem, and motivation to go on and progress in their lives. We are pleased to share the stories of both Shane and Connor who have recently accessed support from the Hull FC Community Foundation.
https://www.hullfc.com/news/2020-02-27-hull-fc-help-develop-this-ability-learners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsvYG9e3CSw&feature=youtu.be
‘Tackling Challenges’
The Covid-19 pandemic will have a significant impact on the way the Hull FC Community Foundation delivers it services to young people in the future. Despite the challenges, the Foundation views this as an opportunity to reach more young people who require support with their mental health at this time. Funding raised through the ‘Tackling Challenges’ initiative will support the Foundation to invest in a new online delivery programme which will support young people to access health and education support safely from their homes. ‘Tackling Challenges’ will deliver daily mentoring, employability, and mental resilience sessions through online channels that can be accessed by the young people during periods of lockdown, self-isolation, or when physical delivery sessions are at full capacity.