Yahoo News ‘There are kids on the estate with potential; we want to give them the opportunity’ – Bransholme club offering free rugby training
A Hull rugby club is offering children the chance to play the sport and make new friends with free Saturday morning sessions.
Bransholme Bears has starters as young as three attending training, come rain or shine, at Lambwath Playing Fields, Biggin Avenue. The coaching is all voluntary and can be geared to individuals’ needs.
A spokesperson for Bransholme Bears said: “The League started Bransholme Bears a couple of years ago but it didn’t take off because they couldn’t get enough volunteers. It was relaunched this summer and we’ve got Karl Beardshaw, the Scotland under-16s coach, involved.”
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Also among the volunteer coaches are John Baines, who works in security at the local shopping centre – “he’s been really good in organising his shifts so they don’t clash with a Saturday morning” – and local vicar Andrew Silley. The club has Hull FC legend Danny Houghton, who grew up on Bransholme and started with Bransholme Bulldogs, as honorary chairman and Hull KR ’s Dean Hadley as an ambassador.
The spokesperson said: “It helps with kids’ social skills and those who have been coming have really become friends with each other. Even last Saturday, when we had all that rain (with Storm Bert’s arrival) we still had about 30 kids down, they were so keen.
“We’ve got about 40 to 50 kids, girls and boys, but we have the capacity for more to come along. We have a mini-Bears session for the young ones, it gives them something to do and, as they get older, they get a bit more out of the specific rugby skills, but it’s more about fun really.
“I’m from Bransholme and when my two boys wanted to play, there wasn’t anywhere for them to go - there used to be four teams. We know there are children on the Bransholme estate with the potential but they don’t have the opportunities; we want to give them that opportunity.
“We have had support from the League with getting equipment and so on, and I’ve met with Karl Turner MP who is hoping to speak to a few people. The council has been really supportive as well. It’s just a pitch to be sorted now.”
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He added: “The Sutton Arms pub has donated a lot of selection boxes to give out to the kids at our Christmas party. We would be pleased to hear from anyone who can help the Bransholme Bears with sponsorship or anything.”
One local mum spoke about the “amazing work” of the club. She said: “They deserve a bit of recognition; all of the coaches do this out of the kindness of their own hearts, the money comes out of their pockets and they don’t charge anyone to join.
“My boys have flourished being part of this team. They both have autism and ADHD but that didn’t matter to the club; they welcomed them with open arms.
“They are creating stability for kids who might not have any otherwise. I think that’s amazing.”
Bransholme Bears offers free training on Saturdays from 9.30am to 10.30am at Lambwath Playing Fields, Biggin Avenue, HU7 4WN, with all skills/abilities welcome and no upper age limit. For more information or to offer help to the club, find The Bransholme Bears on Facebook, where there are contact details.
