Newcastle College student and teacher win Premiership Rugby HITZ Awards

A Newcastle College student and her tutor were named as winners at last week’s Premiership Rugby awards.

Level 2 Sports student Katie Bolton, a participant from the award-winning Premiership Rugby HITZ education and employment programme, and Sports Tutor Kevin Esther, a Newcastle College HITZ teacher were recently awarded the HITZ Academic Achiever Award and HITZ Champion Award 2024 respectively at the annual HITZ awards ceremony in Twickenham.

Honoured for showcasing between them the bravery, commitment and passion that the HITZ programme instils to carve out brighter futures, Katie and Kev will now be celebrated during Community Weekend Round 7 of Gallagher Premiership Rugby on November 29 - December 1.

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18-year-old Katie from Whitley Bay, arrived at Newcastle HITZ programme, having left school without any GCSEs after struggling with poor attendance and disruptive behaviour. However she found hope through HITZ, which connected her passion for rugby with personal development.

The Academic Achiever Award recognised the pathway and development Katie has embarked on since joining the programme. For Katie this included setting goals, envisioning a positive future and embracing opportunities like volunteering with the Newcastle Rugby Foundation CAST match day team.

With the support from HITZ tutors, Katie learned how to manage her emotions and realised she was not alone in her struggles. She also rekindled her love for rugby with mentoring from female coaches at Newcastle Rugby Foundation, returning to her local club and improving her game.

All of this contributed to remarkable growth academically, with Katie achieving 100% attendance and progressing to her Level 2 Sport qualification alongside volunteering. She developed as a role model after taking the initiative to help others facing similar challenges and she now aspires to become a rugby coach eager to inspire others through her own experiences.

On being presented the award, Katie said: "It's just a great experience to be here at the awards, and then to come not expecting to win and then obviously winning, it was just a really big shock, it's just overwhelming."

Whilst Kev has gone above and beyond the call of duty to support and guide young people on the HITZ programme - led by the Newcastle Rugby Foundation and hosted at Newcastle College - helping them to overcome difficult personal barriers to success.

His passion for sport has seen him set up extracurricular activities like a football team to increase socialisation for students, whilst acting as a mentor to provide a support network for students to keep attendance levels high.

Often working out of college hours to remain accessible to students so they never feel alone, Kev’s work leaves lasting impressions on all his students, motivating them to gain qualifications, pursue careers and believe in themselves. All these incredibly selfless qualities contributing to Kev being honoured with the HITZ Champion Award 2024.

Speaking on the award, Kev said: "It does mean a lot to win. To be recognised amongst all the amazing stories we heard tonight is incredible, but I say all the time, it's not just me, it's ALL the people who are involved with the whole HITZ programme up and down the country. It's a huge team effort.

"To any young person that was thinking about trying HITZ, definitely give it a go, it's sometimes about being brave and overcoming fears and anxieties to actually trust other people. But, honestly, this programme is hugely important for people and it does change people's lives."

Katie and Kev are just some of the many inspiring stories that will be highlighted during Community Weekend Round 7 of Gallagher Premiership Rugby. This special weekend celebrates the award-winning community programmes run by Premiership Rugby in collaboration with its 10 clubs and club foundations.

During the weekend each club will showcase their commitment using rugby to change lives. All clubs share close, meaningful connections with the communities they serve, and use rugby to inspire, uplift, and create positive opportunities for local people.

Laylla Stanley, Strategic Lead - Social Impact and D&I at Premiership Rugby said: "HITZ equips young people like Katie with qualifications and tools to navigate life’s challenges, extending far beyond the classroom or rugby pitch.

"This wouldn’t be possible without the valuable support our clubs receive from individuals like Kev who share our passion and determination to help young people in their local community. Congratulations to Katie and Kev on all they have achieved and for their award wins, it is recognition that is much deserved."

HITZ began in a field in Hackney back in 2008 and has evolved into the education and employability programme that operates today with the support of the Premiership clubs and Foundation. In that time, it has supported over 24,000 young people re-engage with education, secure apprenticeships, or find meaningful employment.