Campus Whitehaven is set to receive £14,999.19 from the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme. Delivered in partnership between RLWC2021 and the Rugby Football League, the CreatedBy programme is a funding pot of up to £10million to support the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup by growing participation in the sport.
The grant, which has been awarded to help more people play rugby league at grassroots level in Copeland will help to enhance support for the local community, generate and sustain a progressive girls programme as well as a 16-19 year olds programme. The grant will also help to generate a Disabled and Special Needs pupils programme and create employment opportunities for the local community.
The RLWC2021 InspirationALL capital grant programme will enable the Campus to purchase grounds maintenance equipment, which will allow them to maintain the new grass playing pitches on the former St Benedict’s site. In doing so, this will allow the Campus to maintain a standard capable of enhancing the participation and retention of Rugby League in the areas identified previously (Girls Rugby League, 16-19 Rugby League and Disabled and Special Needs Rugby League).
Simultaneously, the purchase of the specialist ground maintenance equipment and the work associated with the maintenance of all the pitches (grass and artificial) for the Campus, could lead to future employment opportunities for the local community.
Wayne Collins, Operations Manager at Campus Whitehaven said: “We are delighted to have received funding from the RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme. With the creation of the new facilities associated with the Campus Whitehaven project, this gives both schools associated with the campus a brilliant opportunity for creating a safe, welcoming environment not only for their own pupils but also for the local community, which includes all Rugby League stakeholders in the area, especially grass roots community clubs. This funding will allow us to continue providing our community with a world class, state of the art facility which continues to grow in popularity and benefit so many people. We’d like to thank RLWC2021 and The RFL for helping us to achieve this.”
Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, RLWC2021, said: “The CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme is focused on ensuring the next generation of rugby league players have the best possible experience and barriers to participate are removed. We are delighted to award this grant to Campus Whitehaven and look forward to seeing the results of this investment that aims to deliver real change in their community.”
Ralph Rimmer, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League, said: “Hosting the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 offers so many opportunities for everyone involved in the game in this country and beyond, and the facilities that will be delivered by the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme will be a big part of that transformation. The RFL are proud to be involved in that process, and we congratulate all the successful applicants – and look forward to the impact of this unprecedented level of investment in the game for years to come.”
The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will kick off on 23 October 2021, with the men’s, women’s and wheelchair competitions taking place simultaneously, under one tournament banner for the first time. Clubs, organisations and communities that run rugby league activities are encouraged to apply for this legacy funding by visiting www.rlwc2021.com/facilities.
