PERCY PARK RFC GETS READY FOR RUGBY WITH NATWEST RUGBYFORCE
On Friday 4th and Saturday 5th of September 2020 Percy Park RFC took part in NatWest RugbyForce 2020 to complete improvements and repairs to the club facilities to ensure they were ready for the start of rugby, now that clubs have received the greenlight by the Department of Digital, Culture, media and Sport (DCMS) to play Ready4Rugby, an adapted non-contact game and O2 Touch.
This year, with NatWest RugbyForce Weekend postponed in June due to the pandemic, volunteers at Percy Park were called upon to pitch in and roll up their sleeves to help with upgrades at the club. Improvements included the provision of a new First Aid and physio room whilst giving the ‘disrupted’ 1st XV changing room a much needed facelift.
Why this project... Over recent seasons Percy Park has experienced a number of injuries, of a type familiar to a contact sport, to players of all ages from both home and visiting teams. Percy Park passionately believed that any treatment should be delivered in an area that afforded a confidential and hygienic environment for the injured player. Pitch side and muddy changing rooms really didn’t fit in with any of those aspirations...so we set out to change that.
With financial help from Nat West RugbyForce, Club members and Schiedel UK, Percy Park volunteers utilised an existing space within the 1stXV changing room and ‘in the doing’ created a modern first aid area provisioned with an area for a defibrillator, free flowing water and basin, a three section treatment bench, washable floor and walls whilst insuring confidentiality and enabling paramedic and stretcher access. The hard work invested, including additional planning to ensure the activity took place safely over a very difficult period in our lives, has fabricated a ‘first class’ facility that will look after the welfare of all players and visitors to our rugby club.
How did NatWest get involved……In its twelfth year, NatWest RugbyForce is a nationwide programme developed with England Rugby which provides an opportunity for rugby clubs to open their doors to their local communities, team members and volunteers to help make valuable improvements to their clubs. This year, NatWest have offered more help to support the rugby community than ever before, providing an opportunity for a record number of clubs to get involved in the programme, with grants ranging from £500 to £3000 awarded to clubs to help renovate facilities. Without their help our volunteers could not have delivered.
To stay up to date with NatWest’s rugby activity, follow @NatWestRugby on Twitter.
