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Community

4 Aug 2022 | 3 min |

Harwich & Dovercourt RFC host holiday camps for youngsters in need

Harwich & Dovercourt RFC hosts holiday activity camps for youngsters aged seven to 17 who are entitled to free school meals.

Harwich & Dovercourt RFC is very much a family club and keen to be a visible and valuable part of a local community which is among the most income-deprived areas.

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The club’s Youth Chair, Barry Mason, having never played rugby himself, joined the club when his son Luca started playing at the age of six, ten years ago. His daughter Alisha got involved when she was 10 and is now 13.

“Most of Luca’s team have turned up for pre-season training which is great as it’s such a tough year for them and when they may drift away,” says Barry.

Fun and lunch

His passion for “giving back” has seen the club get involved with organisations like Street Games, United in Kind and Active Essex and now the club hosts holiday activity camps providing healthy activity and lunches for youngsters aged seven to 17 who are entitled to free school meals.

Multi sports, arts and crafts, and family challenges are all part of a programme made possible by Barry, Kelly Fensom , who is on the club’s Committee and is youth social secretary, and a number of reliable young people who are often recruits from the club’s youth teams.

Developing young leaders

“These are 16, 18, 20-year-olds who have to become responsible adults in a deprived area and sometimes challenging situations" said Barry. "They develop as leaders and give support, enjoyment and a safe space to the youngsters.

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“Last year we had funding from the RFU to run Family Fun Days, with four hours of activities and we had ten helpers aged 14 to 16 running games and activities on a purely voluntary basis. They were fantastic and at the end we rewarded them with gift vouchers which they hadn’t expected.”

Barry says the rugby club Committee are very supportive of the holiday club which is funded by the Department of Education via Essex County Council.

“The holiday club allows the youngsters to breathe and relax in a totally new environment. It happens in the summer, at Christmas and Easter and we might take them to the cinema, the panto or kayaking alongside multi-sports and arts and crafts.

“It does both the youngsters who come to it and the young people helping to run it a world of good and it sits well with Harwich & Dovercourt RFC’s aim to be a welcoming place for all as well as having two men’s rugby teams, lots of youngsters playing and relaunching women’s rugby. We are a club with a culture of family, community, and respect. We promote inclusion and diversity and welcome everyone, with family touch Tuesdays really popular sessions.”