Rugby youth team raise £900 for our charity

Blackbrook Royals Under 11s rugby league team raised an incredible £900 in a joint fundraising effort for both their club and Community Integrated Care, taking on a unique fitness challenge.

On Saturday 22^nd February, the team collectively travelled 446 miles using cardio equipment at Evolution Fitness XL gym in St Helens. This symbolic distance represents the vast reach of our services across the North West of England, celebrating our charity’s life-changing impact on communities throughout the region.

This fundraising challenge brought together players, their families, and members of the community. The money raised will help both the rugby team with its continued development and our charity’s pioneering programmes that promote the health and inclusion of people with learning disabilities in St Helens.

This is just one of a number of ambitious fundraising challenges that Blackbrook Royals Under 11s have committed to this year, including a challenging Three Peaks event for the coaching team.

In a unique partnership, our charity has committed to delivering a range of experiences for Blackbrook’s young players to inspire their character and beliefs at a formative age. This includes giving the Under 11s special sessions of ‘On The Same Team’ a unique programme created by the charity with the Rugby Football League (RFL), helps inspire young people with values of respect and equality. Through fundraising and shared experiences, the partnership is both impacting young lives and the wider community.

Sophie Mahar, Projects Delivery Manager at Community Integrated Care, praised the team’s effort and highlighted the impact of the joint initiative, “We are incredibly grateful to the Blackbrook Royals Under 11s for their hard work in raising such a significant amount for both the club and our charity.  We were humbled by them taking an ambitious fundraising challenge that symbolises the vast reach of our life-changing care across the North West. This speaks volumes of the values of the club and its young people. Every penny we receive is supporting our mission of helping people with learning disabilities live the Best Life Possible, while also benefitting the Blackbrook Royals in their important work. A special thanks also goes to Evolution Fitness XL for donating their gym space for this event – their support made the challenge a huge success.”

Coach Matty Reeve of Blackbrook Royals shared his thoughts on the value of this joint fundraising effort, “We are extremely proud of our partnership with Community Integrated Care. This fundraising challenge is an example of the strong bond between our club and the charity. It’s been inspiring to see how committed our players, families, and coaches are to this cause. This partnership is so unique, as it shapes the beliefs and attitudes of our young players, and gives them a platform to share their talents. We’re looking forward to the future of this collaboration and the impact.”