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Increasing participation and retention of players in community clubs is the key objective of the RFF, which makes awards to the 1175 clubs below level three in the English Clubs Championship.
Since the first awards were made in 2003, 514 clubs have benefited from awards and made major improvements to clubhouses, changing rooms, playing surfaces and floodlighting.
"The Rugby Football Foundation has helped change the landscape of the game in England over the last five years," said LeRoy Angel, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
"Our clubs are ambitious to keep developing and by improving facilities and playing surfaces they make it possible for more people of all ages to enjoy rugby.
"Every grant or loan – no matter what the size – makes a meaningful difference to them. Now there are more with better clubhouses, more appropriate changing facilities, and better pitches available for longer because of the improvements in lighting that have taken place.
"So far we’ve helped more than 500 clubs and the Trustees hope to assist 500 more by the time the Foundation celebrates its 10th birthday in 2013."
Improvements in playing surfaces, ground maintenance equipment and floodlighting make up 398 of the 814 projects for which funding has been approved.
The remainder focus on improvements to changing room and shower facilities, clubhouse improvements and security.
The first club to receive an award was Trowbridge, whose £3,750 grant towards floodlighting enabled training to expand from one to four nights a week. Since 2003 their overall playing numbers have increased from 400 to 600, they field a full set of junior teams and have added a women’s and two girls teams in the last two years.
"Money is a scarce resource but it’s surprising what difference a modest capital investment can make to a club and it’s helped us develop the game," said Trowbridge’s Administration Manager Chris Lamb.
One of the recent award winners was Millwall, who received an interest free loan of £50,000 and grant of £6,000 to develop a permanent base alongside their pitches on the Isle of Dogs.
"These new facilities will help our club continue to go from strength to strength. It shows we are here and we mean business but it certainly wouldn’t have taken place without the support of the Rugby Football Foundation," said chairman Mike Costin.
The Foundation also administers an emergency fund and eight clubs affected by flooding in the Midlands and the North East last year were able to access financial assistance rapidly.
It is also responsible for the running of the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham Stadium.
The RFF Trustees meet five times each year to consider requests from clubs who are supported by the Funding and Facilities team and Constituent Body volunteers as they prepare their applications.
The Funding and Facilities Team also administer government capital funding programmes that in the past four years have invested in over 240 clubs.
These funds are targeted at prioritised facility needs that have been identified in the 28 Constituent Body Facility Plans. Clubs are supported to find and access other funding partners to meet the general funding targets of £1 of matched funding for every £1 awarded.
More detailed information about the RFF is available at http://www.rfu.com/microsites/rff/ where the resources include FAQs, guidance notes, key contacts and downloadable application packs.
You can also contact the RFU Funding and Facilities Executives:
Ross Baxter (Midlands) rossbaxter@rfu.com 07764 960403
Rick Bruin (South East) rickbruin@rfu.com 07738 029211
Ted Mitchell (North) tedmitchell@rfu.com 07738 029212
Dave Stubley (South West) davestubley@rfu.com 07736 722387
Media enquiries: Simon Mills simonmills@rfu.com 07702 661214
The Rugby Football Foundation is governed by a Board of seven Trustees who bring their significant professional expertise to the task of investing in the grassroots game in England. The Board is chaired by LeRoy Angel, an architect who was the President of the RFU for the 2005/06 season. Its members are:
Richard Appleby (Solicitor)
Richard Baldwin (Accountant)
Nick Bunting, (RFU Head of Public Affairs, Planning, Funding and Resources)
Malcolm Duncan (Accountant)
David Ford (Fundraising Consultant)
Peter Grace (Quantity Surveyor)
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