- Norfolk-Suffolk border club breaking new ground
- Seal of Approval club of the year are full of ideas
President’s XV prize winners Lowestoft & Yarmouth RFC are grabbing attention with a batch of new ideas to build on their success in the annual awards for outstanding work by volunteers.
This thriving club on the Norfolk-Suffolk border was presented with £500 and a winner’s trophy after being named the 2011 Seal of Approval Club of the Year in the prestigious awards, supported by business insurer QBE.
The prize went to the club’s burgeoning junior section at the same time as the men’s first team was celebrating promotion to London League 2 North East.
Jerry Stone, chairman of L & Y’s junior rugby club, and a coaching co-ordinator for local schools, says it is crucial to put every effort into the quality of experience in the under 16 age group so that players will wish to stay involved when they move into higher education or a working career.
"Rugby union is a great game, and it is more than just a game," Jerry said. "It’s about family, it’s about adding value to people’s lives and it’s about recognising what a good club can give them.
"Our senior club committee have come along with us and that has been a big sea-change. We are one club and we do not work in sections because we have a small ground and we have to share resources."
Jerry is busy raising money to buy a mini-bus to help youngsters get to and from training and matches, which will be a help in Great Yarmouth.
And that is just one of many schemes and initiatives that could be of interest to any club around the country aiming to increase interest and recruiting new blood.
Lowestoft & Yarmouth, who achieved their Mini & Youth Seal of Approval last August, are believed to be the first club to offer the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme to young volunteers through their rugby activities.
The club are looking to employ someone part-time to work in local schools while also being a player-coach, and they are encouraging primary schools to treat tag rugby as a summer sport, adding to the beach rugby already under way.
When L & Y host junior fixtures they invite more than one visiting club so that the comparatively long journeys in the area are worthwhile. "It’s an invaluable income source for us and it gives the other clubs a chance to meet people they might not otherwise see," Jerry explains.
Junior players are ball boys at first-team matches, and each of the L & Y age group sides has its own flag – a standard that can bear the name of a local sponsor – which were on display when RFU Vice President Willie Wildash arrived to present the President’s XV prize.
And Lowestoft & Yarmouth are setting up a committee of young people aged 10 to 17 to be a steering group feeding into the main club committee.
"We are providing a service for young people so why not find out how they think things should be run?” says Jerry. "There are parents who are volunteering but we are aiming for as much longevity as possible. There is an obvious need at clubs for young volunteers, and I’d also like to think some of our ideas will turn into business propositions."