SCL TO SPONSOR BREAKTHRU ACHIEVER AWARD #RugbyChangingLives

Held at the House of Commons on Wednesday 17 July, the annual event celebrates the hard work and dedication of people up and down the country.

The BREAKTHRU Achiever of the Year Award is one of four awards up for grabs and rewards someone who has excelled in any one of Premiership Rugby’s education, health or social inclusion programmes. This year’s nominations for the award are Jared Spence (Gloucester Rugby), Courtney Bell (Newcastle Falcons) and Danielle Tuson (Wasps).

SCL’s partnership with Premiership Rugby continues to go from strength-to-strength, with the two organisations improving the lives of 16-18-year-olds through the award-winning HITZ programme.  

Using rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship, HITZ supports young people not in education, training or employment to get back into education, training, apprenticeships or employment.

As well as HITZ, there are other national programmes that operate across the country which all 13 Premiership Rugby shareholder clubs deliver. More than 310,000 people every year are assisted in some way through Premiership Rugby’s ‘Plan To Improve a Million Lives’, with initiatives designed for all walks of life.

Managing Director of SCL Education and Training Brad Rushton said: “I’m immensely proud that we are sponsoring the BREAKTHRU Achiever of the Year Award. The awards are a great way to celebrate the success stories of many people who have changed their lives through a range of national programmes.

“Our partnership with Premiership Rugby allows us to use the power of sport to positively impact on the lives of young people across the UK, which is our passion and we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Premiership Rugby. ”

Wayne Morris, Premiership Rugby Community and CSR Director said: “There is a range of national programmes that operate across the country, which all our clubs help deliver to their local community.

“That is from improving access to people from black and ethnic minority groups, breaking down barriers and giving them better access to sport and opportunities, all the way through to our HITZ scheme, which helps young people not in education or employment and teaches them life skills and employability skills in order to guide them to a more positive progression route.

“We have a vast range of scheme across multiple areas, so we are helping to change lives in lots of different ways.

“For those who come through the programmes, it is an incredibly life-changing experience. It is something which drives enthusiasm across the country.

“I think it is very humbling for everyone. There is a team of people who make this happen behind the scenes but you don’t often see it.

“It is very nice to hear people’s stories and to see the impact that our programme has had on them is very rewarding. It just confirms all the effort we all put works.”