Typhoons shortlisted for diversity award
Lancashire’s first inclusive rugby club, Typhoons RUFC, have been shortlisted for the National Diversity Awards 2021, with winners to be announced on Friday, 4th February 2022 at the Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool.
Winning would make a great fourth birthday present, the club having been established in January 2018 to involve more LGBTQ+ people in sport. In the past three and a half years, they have attracted more than 70 members to play in their rugby and touch rugby teams which train each week at Preston Grasshoppers.
Now very much a part of the Grasshoppers family, the Typhoons have played an active role within the community, attending pride events and raising money for a number of local charities.
Most recently the club has secured funding through Comic Relief’s LGBTQ+ COVID-19 Recovery Fund, in partnership with METRA Charity, Yorkshire MESMAC and Birmingham LGBT. This has made it possible for the club to connect their players with local businesses who can provide a range of services to support their mental and physical health.
Their excellent work led to them being put forward in the Community Organisation (LGBT) category of the national awards, set up to create and celebrate a new generation of positive role models for the UK. The Community Organisation category recognises individuals and groups who have made an outstanding contribution to their local community.
Chris Goulding, club chair, said: “We really try to be there for our members and have a lot of networks around us to help when needed. Everyone has a different reason to be part of our club.
“We knew that physical and mental health was really being affected by the pandemic and created an initiative when we noticed some of the Typhoons starting to struggle. Some experienced additional challenges as a result of the lockdown that many of us wouldn’t ever consider. For many of our teammates, our weekly training sessions provide an opportunity to be themselves, to get in shape and to build a support network.
“Being a Typhoon is more than just being a sports club. It is about being an active and positive role model in the community.
“We have only been able to achieve the things we have because of the support of dedicated volunteers, the generosity of amazing local businesses, the kindness of Lancashire’s communities and the belief and participation of our members”.
