The Rugby Football League celebrated one year of the RFL Community Trust and the progress of numerous partnerships during its ‘Week of Social Impact 2025’.
The Trust oversees a network of 34 professional club charitable foundations that harness the power of the sport to make a lasting difference in local communities. Wigan Warriors Community Foundation has been announced as winner of the RFL 2025 Foundation of the Year, with Leigh Community Trust and Castleford Tigers Foundation as runners-up.
Further notable new social impact partnerships in 2025 include the Department for Work & Pensions, Humber & North Yorkshire UNITED, Raise Your Game, Easyfundraising and Parkinsons UK.
WRAP-AROUND
The RFL are partners of the DWP Youth Hubs initiative that offers personalised, wrap-around employment, skills and wellbeing support to young people in the areas of highest need.
The Hubs bring support, such as CV and wellbeing advice, directly to young people – taking place in settings right at the heart of the community like sports clubs, libraries, and community centres.
With nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training, this expansion is helping to inspire a renewed sense of purpose and ambition in young people as well as breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Plan for Change. Find out more here.
Humber & North Yorkshire UNITED is a pioneering initiative launched by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to unite sport in Humber and North Yorkshire around mental health, suicide prevention and self-harm awareness.
Originally established with professional sporting organisations including York RLFC Foundation, the collective is now entering its next phase by welcoming grassroots governing bodies which play a vital role in supporting communities through sport.
It will reach participants and clubs across all levels of sport, from under-6s to walking sports, paving the way for improved mental health awareness and access to support for potentially hundreds of thousands of people. Find out more here.
CONFIDENT
The RFL Community Trust has also partnered with Parkinson's UK, the national charity which aims to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s. This week Parkinson’s UK launched the RFL’s new CPD series with a 90-minute workshop designed to help people feel more confident and prepared when delivering physical activity sessions for people living with Parkinson's.
The Week of Social Impact 2025 also saw the ‘On The Same Team’ programme being highlighted. Developed in partnership with Community Integrated Care, one of Britain's biggest and most successful social care charities, the project helps to tackle prejudice before it is formed, by providing engaging and impactful education aimed at helping young people understand the influence of their words and actions on others.
The programme emphasises the importance of unity and mutual respect, with the ultimate objective of eliminating bullying and discrimination. The programme can be delivered by Foundations, schools and community clubs and is free of charge. Find out more here.
York RLFC Foundation with the support of the York & North Yorkshire Office for Policing, Fire, Crime and Commissioning’s Community Fund, supported by York CVS. The Foundation engages with more than 6,000 young people across 24 locations across York to help address bullying and discrimination.
Finally, more than 1,100 participants of social impact projects attended the ABK Rugby League Ashes Test Match at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 25th October.
Read more at rugby-league.com/social-impact
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