Leeds Rhinos Foundation - Club of the Month, February 2023
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For our February Club of the Month, the Every Body Moves team headed North to visit Leeds Rhinos Foundation and see first hand the amazing range of adaptive activities they offer.
Rugby League is synonymous with the North of England, and Leeds Rhinos Foundation are going the extra mile to make sure their belief that everyone should have the opportunity to play the sport and engage in physical activity, no matter their ability, is a reality.
Established in 2005 to specifically deliver the community arm of the club, the Foundation aim to engage more with the wider community and utilise the power of sport to make long lasting, positive and impactive change.
James Simpson, coach for the Leeds Rhinos Wheelchair Rugby League team and England World Cup winning player, told us more:
"I think Rugby League is one of the best sports out there for inclusivity. At Rhinos, we've got a men's team, we've got a women's team, we've got a netball team, we've got a wheelchair team, we've got a learning disability team, we've got a physical disability rugby team! I really think Rhinos is the standard of what inclusivity is now.
That sense of inclusivity extends beyond the pitch (or court in the wheelchair game) with the Foundation's work with the wider community, including schools and leisure centres throughout the city and their partnership with Aspire. For the latter, these sessions help those with learning difficulties to be more active in adaptive and accessible ways, promoting social development and connections along with a range of other skills. All delivered by the Foundation's professionals (including England Wheelchair Rugby League captain, Tom Halliwell) who tailor content to those attending, with the aim of providing a safe and fun environment.
When talking about receiving the award, Ed Bates, Disability Officer at Leeds Rhinos Foundation, told us:
“It means a lot and we're very proud that the Leeds Rhinos Foundation have been awarded Every Body Moves's Club of the Month. It’s really great to be recognised for the work we do in the community of Leeds. We are members of the Physical Disability and Learning Disability community and provide many different opportunities through our wheelchair, LD and PD Rugby League variants. The participants that turn up every week are amazing, and we look forward to welcoming them down to our sessions to play the sport that they love. Our work in the community with Aspire, CBS and Community Integrated Care is a massive thing for us, it is another way to get various people engaged in sport and physical activity within the city."
Baden Knifton, Every Body Moves engagement officer at ParalympicsGB, added:
"We were blown away by the incredible range of sessions offered by the Leeds Rhinos Foundation, not just on the pitch or court, but reaching in the wider community and truly helping everyone to be more active in a way that suits them. The passion and commitment from the whole team, their authentic enthusiasm and drive for making real world change, all linked with an outstandingly inclusive atmosphere where first team players and England captains directly engage with participants at every level... we're very proud to award Leeds Rhinos Foundation our Club of the Month.
