A GROUP that aims to engage local Eastern European communities in the game of rugby was invited to the House of Lords for a Spirit of 2012 Anniversary Lunch.
Two representatives from the Spirit of Rugby volunteer group in Northampton attended to present Northamptonshire’s project – Engage Try Convert (engage-try-convert.co.uk). It seeks to offer a range of exciting new rugby events and activities, as well as signposting participants to existing rugby sessions locally.
The two project representatives were Adam King and Alex Le Guével (pictured) who both work for Northamptonshire Sport and support the project. Adam is a project volunteer and Alex is the local stakeholder who provides support to the volunteering group.
Alex said: “Attending the Spirit of 2012 Trust’s 2nd Anniversary celebrations at the House of Lords was a real honour and it was brilliant to see for ourselves the wider work Spirit have been doing to ensure the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games legacy is felt at a local level across the country.
“For Adam and I to represent not only our county of Northamptonshire, but the Spirit of Rugby Project as a whole, was a fantastic experience and one we certainly won’t forget in a hurry.”
They were joined by the RFU’s Jenny Box, volunteer engagement manager and Michael Hawkes who oversees the Spirit of Rugby project delivery in the north of the country.
Michael commented on the significance of the day: “With the RWC just behind us it was inspiring to see how a major international sporting event can have such a vast impact on different communities around the country. It was great to see Alex and Adam talking about their project with such enthusiasm and the progress they have made in a short time.”
All the individual projects are for 16-24 year olds, led by 16 – 24 year olds and are taking place in 14 other communities around the country.
The projects have all been designed and delivered by the volunteer groups with assistance from England Rugby, local partners and Spirit of 2012. The projects vary in their approaches with groups focusing on the arts and creativity around rugby. To find out more, visit: spiritof2012trust.org.uk