News / Rugby
Bears’ charity launches strategy to tackle ‘impacts of inequality’ through rugby
A rugby charity’s new strategy hopes to use the sport as a means of instilling mental and physical wellbeing across communities in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
Fresh off her World Cup victory, Sarah Bern was spotted training young girls at Shaftesbury Park on Friday morning for the Bristol Bears Foundation’s regular girls-only camp, days after the foundation announced its new ‘Beyond the Bear’ strategy.
“I think Rugby is an important life lesson,” the Bristol Bears player told Bristol24/7. “My best friends I’ve met through rugby, and I’ve been friends with them for 20 years now”.
Sarah Bern was part of the England women’s team, which won the Rugby World Cup in September
Bern was joined for the training by her other Bears teammates, Holly Phillips and Jenny Hesketh, both of whom see the foundation’s new strategy as a “special” and important way of bringing rugby into the lives of young girls and boys.
Philips added: “I think rugby is a game and an environment that ticks so many boxes without us realising. Just that enthusiasm that you see out here on the pitch, for being physically active and the sense of community and togetherness, is so important.”
The diversity of Bristol, Hesketh said, is an important part of the strategy, which envisions offering the “same opportunities” to people from different backgrounds. She said: “The strategy focuses on seeing how we can get into different parts of the community and actually engage them in sport because it’s something that gives you a community, a sense of belonging”
Erin, Lottie, Lucy and Gracie were all training as part of the foundation’s girls-only camp on Friday morning
A later session on Friday afternoon will see Emma Orr, Elliann Clarke, and Simi Pam from Bristol Bears coach some more girls for the ongoing camp.
Braving the fierce showers on Friday morning, the young girls training as part of the foundation’s camp were enthusiastic and committed to what one of them said was a sport “for them”.
Lottie, a 13-year-old at the camp, said she had tried “lots of sports before” but none of them were for her. After playing rugby at her school one day, she found that this was what she’d liked to pursue.
“It’s exercise. It keeps you fit,” the teenager told Bristol24/7.
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The new strategy promises to focus on engaging new audiences while also ensuring gender parity, building strong connections between rugby and people in the region and being recognised as a “trusted go-to organisation for community-engagement”.
CEO for the foundation, Jamie Skinner said: “We’ve worked hard in the last six months to really understand what we do, how we do and most importantly, why. Our strategy sets out a plan for the next three years, aligned with using rugby to help tackle the impacts of inequality.”
The strategy, Skinner said, is an “opportunity” to build foundations on the basis of their existing work while addressing some existing challenges, like young people not attending school, older adults who are experiencing social isolation and making the sport more accessible to people from disadvantaged communities.
He added: “The brand (Bristol Bears) is our USP. It’s what makes us different. There’s one professional rugby club in Bristol, but from a foundation perspective, the brand only takes us so far.
“It’s actually our people, our staff, that our going into communities wearing the brand, that are having the greatest impact.”
All photos: Karen Johnson
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