Hinckley Help with Half Term Meals
Chairman of Hinckley Rugby Club in Leicestershire, John Tilley says: “It was a shock to realise that parts of our community are really struggling to the point where they don’t have meals. We decided that we needed to give something back in hard times like these.”
They called in a number of volunteers, some furloughed due to the pandemic, and thanks to their experience in providing great match day and event catering and support from their sponsors, began cooking up 500 meals a day for youngsters and their families during half-term.
“A rugby club can do a lot more than providing rugby for the community and it became apparent from some of our members that local families were struggling to see where their next meal was coming from. That’s horrendous,” says John.
Hinckley became one of the clubs nationwide rolling up their sleeves to make a difference during the pandemic.
“We’re not flush, we are just surviving but we couldn’t sit idly by while large numbers of children and families were under the pump,” says John.
Working with local schools and agencies the club has been producing 500 individually packaged meals a day for distribution to children and their families of concern during the weekdays of half term.
John adds: “Without our sponsors, mainly local companies, we would not be in a position to help. Over many years, they have been very supportive of Hinckley RFC so to pass on their support to help the local community is a great privilege. All of our sponsors have contributed, with DPD, our main sponsor, contributing an extra £1,000 and Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council contributing another £2,000. We would like to thank them all for their generous support.”
During the pandemic, the club has kept members engaged, creating four house teams who competed in an inter club competition, plus fund raised via a virtual cycle around all the clubs in National 2 South. They raised £24,000, allowing the club to create a decent road between the entrance and clubhouse. No longer do potholes have to be negotiated and doubtless that makes it easier too for meals to be collected for delivery to those who need them.
