2 SPOONEWS | SPRING 2014 woodenspoon.com Exciti ng Times Ahead.. As Wooden Spoon approaches the end of its 30th Anniversary year, we can refl ect on what a great celebratory year it has been for the charity and the children and young people that we support.p During the last 12 months we have opened 63 charitable projects that benefi t disadvantaged children and young people, totalling just over £1.2 million of support. A tremendous result, considering the current economic climate! Among these was an announcement of a further three years support for the Hitz New Era programme. This three year partnership will recognise Wooden Spoon’s commitment and see the charity working in partnership with professional rugby clubs and specialist educati on providers to support disenfranchised young people back into educati on, employment and training. The Wooden Spoon regions conti nue to be the driving force behind the charity, who despite the worst winter for many years, have risen to the challenge and raised a wonderful amount during the last year. We are delighted to announce the proposed new region over where it all started in 1983, in Dublin. TNT Express conti nue to be both the largest and longest serving corporate supporter of the charity and recently presented us with a cheque totalling £237,871, representi ng the sterling fund-raising eff orts of TNT Express employees during 2013. Since the partnership began back in 1997, it has raised a massive £3.48m for disadvantaged and disabled children and young people. The 30th Anniversary Annual Ball was a truly magical event. It was fabulous to see so many familiar faces from over the years. This year’s Wooden Spoon Ball, themed as Aurora Ice will see us take inspirati on from the Arcti c Who We Are and What We Do Rugby Challenge 2015, to bring you an evening of beauty and mystery. Wooden Spoon is a grant making charity founded in 1983. Since then Be advised that tables are selling fast and this really isn’t an evening to be we have been committ ed to helping improve the lives of disabled and missed. disadvantaged children. As we move into the summer months, dust off the golf clubs and look We are one of the largest UK funders of respite and medical treatment forward to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, we have a number of great centres, sensory rooms, specialist playgrounds, sports acti vity areas, and fundraising events in the pipeline. Please be sure to pay close att enti on to community-based programmes and have so far granted over £20 million to the ones happening in your local region. We hope that you can support these fantasti c projects. them in any way that you can. Inspired and moti vated by our rugby heritage and by working together I would like to thank you all for your conti nued support of Wooden Spoon. with the rugby community, with the support of its top sporti ng heroes, we Your passion, integrity, teamwork and fun are what keep those smiles have been able to help over 1 million children and fund over 600 projects. sti rring among the children and young people that we support. Without you, the members and the hard working Regional Committ ees and In 2011 Wooden Spoon became the fi rst charity to receive the Spirit of volunteers, our work would not be possible. Thank you. Rugby Award from the Internati onal Rugby Board and in November 2013 became the offi cial charity partner of the Rugby League World Cup. We are John Gibson also honoured to have HRH The Princess Royal as our Patron. Chairman, Wooden Spoon Our Royal Patron is HRH The Princess Royal who gives Our rugbyrugby patrons ggenerouslyenerously of her ti me. The RFU, WRU, SRU, IRFU and the RFL aallll support us in our ccharitableharitable work.work. woodenspoon.com SPOONEWS | SPRING 2014 3 SHEDS SANS FRONTIÈRES SEGRO IS PROUD TO CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT FOR WOODEN SPOON 1,250 5.3 MILLION £5.2 BILLION 488 HECTARES CUSTOMERS SQ M OF LETTABLE SPACE PORTFOLIO OF DEVELOPMENT LAND A NETWORK THAT SPANS EUROPE EXPERIENCE THAT SPANS DECADES SEGRO.com/propertysearch UK | France | Germany | Poland | Netherlands | Belgium | Czech Republic | Italy 4 SPOONEWS | SPRING 2014 woodenspoon.com Data as at December 31st 2013 Contents 6. Wooden Spoon News 26 Wooden Spoon Community Projects 10. Wooden Spoon’s Charitable Work 16. Wooden Spoon Regional Fundraising The Arcti c Rugby Inspirati onal Fundraising 24 28 Events Calender 35 Challenge 36. Wooden Spoon Challenges 40. TNT and Wooden Spoon 46. Wooden Spoon Rugby Ambassadors 48. Wooden Spoon Rugby woodenspoon.com SPOONEWS | SPRING 2014 5 Wooden Spoon News The Scotland Region Releases New DVD The Scotti sh committ ee has unveiled its latest short fi lm promoti ng the work of the charity North of the border. This is the third fi lm made with the working ti tle “This is Where Your Money Goes”, and it features projects recently supported by Wooden Spoon in Scotland. The latest editi on contains footage from an exciti ng game of wheelchair rugby when Glasgow Warriors players were shown how it’s done by some of the parti cipants in the community project, and looks at the work of Quarriers Epilepsy Centre and the Scotti sh Spina Bifi da Associati on among others. Alistair Crawley of the Steven Sims Cavaliers proved “A short fi lm is a great way to put across a lot of himself a very able presenter when he joined informati on very quickly at fundraising events. Some the producti on team to inspect proposed new of the young people we interview can show an faciliti es for Teens+ and Sleep Scotland, one of the audience without a doubt that every penny raised latest projects to receive grant funding. When counts, and what’s more, is hugely appreciated,” the proposed learning zone for young people with says Scotti sh committ ee chairman Charlie Bryden. complex support needs completes this autumn, Wooden Spoon will dedicate it to the memory of Anyone wishing to view the movie or order a copy Steven Sims, a rugby enthusiast and popular all- should contact Maggie Wright at round sportsman who died suddenly aged just 23. [email protected]. His friends have conti nued his fundraising legacy through rugby with the Cavaliers and other sporti ng acti viti es, donati ng proceeds to Wooden Spoon. In Memory of Trevor Jones In 1998 Trevor Jones responded Trevor recruited John Dewhurst, who became Trevor’s death was not unexpected. He had returned the fi rst Chairman of the Lancashire Region and, to the comfort of his own home from hospital and to the call from Tony Richards, his in turn, John set about creati ng a suitably strong slipped away peacefully at the age of 67 years. lifelong friend from their school and enthusiasti c committ ee with Trevor taking on His work in assisti ng disadvantaged children in the role of Secretary, a positi on he held unti l his Lancashire will be missed, but not forgott en. days together at Fleetwood passing on 4th December 2013. Their fi rst event, Grammar School, who was organised with the support of the Thompson family, was held at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The lunch working for Wooden Spoon was supported by 260 guests and included Bill and charged with the task of Beaumont and Cliff Morgan as the guest speakers. Trevor was instrumental in setti ng-up and running increasing the number of Regional the Lancashire Region’s highly successful golf days. Committ ees in order to grow thethe Today,yp both annual events are well supportedp and areare theirtheir two main incomeincome generators.generators. charity.charity. 6 SPOONEWS | SPRING 2014 woodenspoon.com The new generati on of Wooden Spoon shines brightly With her Prom taking place in May, Mollie Aged just 16 years old, decided to hold a jewellery party for her friends Mollie Smith is the fi rst and to raise money for the charity at the same ti me. And so the idea for Girly Glitz and Glam of the new generati on of was born. Wooden Spoon supporters The jewellery party took place at Surrey Sports Park in Guildford, Surrey, on Tuesday 1st April. to hold a benefi tti ng event Friends, family and classmates came to browse for the charity. But Mollie the wares from Make A Diff erence (M.A.D. the online fundraising and jewellery retailer). is far from an ordinary A range of wonderful prizes including fl owers, teenager as she has Wooden chocolates, champagne, two beauti ful bracelet and earring sets donated by M.A.D. and a Spoon in her veins courtesy weekend stay kindly donated by Headley Park of her grandfather Fred Hotel in Hampshire were raffl ed off with all Karen Macaulay, Mollie Smith and Fred Hucker proceeds going to Wooden Spoon. Hucker, one of the founders With funds from the raffl e added to the retail and currently a Vice profi t on jewellery sold by M.A.D. that evening, Mollie’s fi rst benefi tti ng event raised over £330 President of the charity. for Wooden Spoon. Brian Hodges, A change at HQ Capital Projects Development Director At the end of March Chief Aft er 7 years service with Wooden Spoon, Executi ve, Steve Holt Brian Hodges, Capital Projects Development resigned from his positi on Director is going to enjoy a well earned reti rement at the end of July. During his ti me at the charity. in the role, Brian processed well over 300 capital projects.