- Coventry name schemes after Phil Judd and Ivor Preece
- Sportsmatch funding for coaching initiatives
Coventry have named their two new community outreach programmes after two of their most famous players.
The programmes, which will be run by the National League One club’s community department, will be named the Judd Project and Preece Project after former England captains Phil Judd and Ivor Preece.
The Judd Project aims to enhance and revive rugby in Coventry’s secondary schools and will consist of six hours of taster sessions followed by a 16 weeks programme of two weekly sessions. The programme will culminate in a tag festival.
The Preece Project will target the development of skills at colts level by delivering a 16 week programme consisting of one session per week for 50 talented players. There will also be an additional four conditioning sessions and six matches. Members of the Henley College rugby academy in Coventry will help with the delivery of this programme.
Eight youngsters will also have the opportunity to train to become match officials as part of the Warwickshire Referees’ Society’s Junior Whistlers programme, under the supervision of a mentor from the Society.
Coventry have raised £20,000 in sponsorship for the new projects, which form part of their established Jaguar Land Rover and Unipart Logistics Community Rugby Programme.
A further £20,000 in funding has been obtained from Sport England’s Sportsmatch fund. Sportsmatch makes awards to not-for-profit organisations that have secured sponsorship to deliver new community projects to grow or sustain participation in sport.
Sportsmatch uses money from the government to encourage new sponsorship of grassroots community sport. Priority is given to applications seeking to match sponsorship from the commercial sector but donations from private individuals or charitable trusts are also acceptable provided they meet our sponsorship eligibility criteria.
Awards of between £1,000 and £100,000 can be made to match funding from no more than five sponsors, with each sponsor contributing a minimum of £1,000.
