Aspiring Presenters Host Exclusive Webcast

Two aspiring television stars lived their dreams of becoming media presenters thanks to the ground-breaking inclusive volunteering partnership between our charity and the Rugby League World Cup 2021.

Dylan Prinsep (18) and Jake Lindsay (19) hosted an exclusive webcast with the St Helens and England star, Jodie Cunningham, as part of a media training club led by our charity. With the pair planning and presenting the Q&A, which was watched by a live audience, it provided invaluable experience to support the pair to achieve their long-term aspirations.

Community Integrated Care is the Official Social Care Partner of the Rugby League World Cup 2021. With the support of Sport England, we have created a world first Inclusive Volunteering project which sees more than 250 people who have care and support needs access life-changing opportunities that promote new skills, friendships, and greater experience.

The media training club is just one of a host of unique vocational projects that we’re leading, inspired by and delivered through the tournament. It sees participants develop core media creation skills through a range of exceptional sessions – from hosting live events with stars of the sport to delivering press conferences ahead of major games. It enables members to understand and create a range of amazing content, from promotional videos to topical interviews.

It is anticipated that participants will go on to use these media skills at the tournament itself, in roles such as content creation, interviewing and presenting. Through training, mentoring and support from the Community Integrated Care team, it is hoped that it will enable members to continue to follow their dreams, lasting long after the tournament finishes.

The webcast that the pair led has been named ‘Inspiration Included’. It will go onto to become a regular series led by the pair and others who have media skills goals. The programme, which is broadcast live online, is designed to introduce people who access care and support to incredible people who have inspirational and relevant stories to share.

Dylan Prinsep, says: “We were buzzing to host this event. Jodie has an amazing story – she inspires us as a Rugby League player and also as a media professional, with her work on Sky Sports and BBC. I have always wanted to work in front of the camera and this gave me my first taste of what it might be like. I can’t wait to do even more!”

Jake Lindsay added: “As soon as I heard about Community Integrated Care’s volunteering program with the Rugby League World Cup 2021, I signed up to be part of it. I would never have imagined though that we would have had the chance to do something like this! We are very excited to see what else we can achieve at the tournament.”

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, says, “Dylan and Jake are both brilliantly talented young people who have big dreams for the future. Our Inclusive Volunteering program is dedicated to enabling people to find and achieve their dreams, so it was a pleasure to see them get so much from this experience. We know that they, and all of our participants, will achieve fantastic things through their volunteering experiences.

We would like to thank our partners Sport England and Rugby League World Cup 2021 for the essential support that they have given to our charity in creating and delivering this world-first project.”

Jodie Cunningham, St Helens Captain and England player says: “It was an honour to be the first guest on ‘Inspiration Included’.  Dylan and Jake have so much potential, and the questions from the audience were fantastic. Projects like this are key to our vision of making this the most inclusive Rugby League World Cup ever. We are grateful to the team at Community Integrated Care for their dedication in creating and leading this amazing Inclusive Volunteering programme.”