Period to 30 June 2000
During the period the fund was active in obtaining charitable status, and in applying for grants from Awards for All towards the costs of planned tournaments.
Year to 30 June 2001
In autumn term 2000 the fund launched its first two initiatives, a Secondary schools Seven-a-side tournament in September 2000 and a Primary Tag Tournament in October 2000, these were funded by Awards for All Grants of £2,500 each and were successful in raising the profile of the club and attracting junior players.
In January 2000 a full time Rugby Development Officer was appointed jointly by the RFU and Manchester City Council (MCC).
From Easter 2001 the fund paid for after school tag rugby in local primary school leading to the knock out competition for the Greater Manchester Youth Games held at Toc H. A further Awards for All grant of £2,437 was obtained towards Primary schools coaching in summer and autumn terms 2001.
Year to 30 June 2002
Two weeks of multi sport Summer School were successfully organised and delivered in July 2001 by Phil Walker.
In the Autumn term 2001 tag coaching was delivered to local primary schools funded by the Awards for All grant previously obtained. Further funding was forthcoming in the form of a MCC commission grant of £2,000 and a further Awards for All grant of £2,563 to deliver tag rugby to years 5, 6 and 7 in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games which was spent over the academic year.
On 27 July 2001 the Manchester Rugby Union Development Group (MRUDG) was formed to provide an independent vehicle for the RDO’s activities thoughout the borough.
Year to 30 June 2003
Activity dropped off in this year as Manchester City Council direct the commission grant funding through the MRUDG. The Primary School work already funded was completed and a further MCC commission grant of £895 obtained for primary tag.
Throughout the period the MRUDG (Chair T Davies, Treasurer C Smail) also promoted primary tag rugby and began to organise competitions of full contact rugby in the local secondary schools throughout the borough, leading to the Lancs RFU ‘developing schools’ competitions.
Year to 30 June 2004
The fund continued to use its income to promote tag rugby in local primary schools at a reduced level. Most activity in this area was funded through commission grants and New Opportunities Fund monies through the MRUDG.
Year to June 2005
At first the fund continued to use its income to promote tag rugby in local primary schools at a reduced level, again most activity in this area was funded through the MRUDG.
However in the course of this academic year the government announced significant changes to schools sports arrangements, with designated ‘Competition Managers’ in regional sports colleges targeted to form strategic alliances with local sports clubs. School Sports Coordinators in each secondary school designated to promote school teams and club links and every primary school to have designated sports coordinators. A lot of time was spent announcing this and finding people to fill the posts, however schools were now targeted to develop club links.
At the end of the year a Commission grant of £1,500 was obtained from MCC to deliver initiatives under the new regime.
Year to June 2006
Much confusion as teachers began to develop their new roles, four part time coaches delivered tag into schools mostly in the Northenden area during the Autumn term culminating in an enjoyable midweek tournament at Toc H but not a lot of new players.
In spring funding was secured through MRUDG to support three coaches in the Borough, appointments made in April and they started work in May organising some tournaments leading to the Youth Games.
Future
The initiative taken by this group in 2000 has had far reaching consequences, leading locally to much greater local authority participation in sport funding. We were largely responsible for setting up the MRUDG, which initially was run entirely by us, as a body through which MCC would channel funding into Rugby initiatives. Other clubs and RDO’s throughout the country are setting up independent development groups to facilitate delivery of local initiatives.
The latest development is that of jointly funded community coaches, other counties have one or two, Lancashire has seven of which three are based in the City of Manchester. We have been invited to participate in the management and funding of one of the coaches, a commitment of £2,000 per year for three years, which we can afford.
The next development will be a community volunteer programme based on the universities.
I strongly recommend that we take advantage of the changing climate of government initiatives and seize the opportunity to re-launch the fund to the parents of the current junior club and to take advantage of the new community coaches and volunteers.
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