8th March 2008
Ilkley Rugby club win further acclaim
Tom Gillon, the Chairman of Ilkley rugby club’s Junior and youth section heard this weekend that the club had won the North East and Yorkshire award in the RFU’s competition for Seal of Approval club of the year.
Held under the title of RFU President’s XV awards sponsored by PGL, this is yet another indication of the high esteem in which the club is held nationally. It effectively ranks the club in the top six in the country.
The club has already been awarded year 4 accreditation, something only a handful of clubs nationwide have achieved.
What is more it clearly demonstrates that the club has an infrastructure that provides a safe and enjoyable environment for young people to participate in competitive sport at the highest level.
Whilst Ilkley RFC upholds the amateur ethos at all levels, both Junior and Senior, they run the club in the most professional way possible.
The award puts further substance behind the ambitious plans for redevelopment of their facilities. Fund raising continues apace to bring these plans to fruition.
The award will be presented later in the year. More details will be published when the date is known.
The submission for the award was as follows:
“Our club runs 4 senior sides, including a Veterans team and provides coaching and playing facilities for Bradford University. We have a junior section of 260 youngsters spanning the full range of under 7’s to 17’s, the latter enjoying their first year of competitive league rugby.
The club has funded their own CRDO who delivers a programme of rugby and lifestyle coaching to local schools and clubs free of charge. This is in its 3rd year and has resulted in noticeably increased numbers of young players, coaches and referees.
Coaches now exceed 50, all RFU trained, well in excess of the required coach to player ratio.
An annual Vets tournament is now in its 4 year and is attracting clubs from outside our district.
The club has an established link with Leeds Carnegie who attend and deliver coaching sessions in addition to a twice yearly summer camp for children of all ages.
Our facilities enable regional RDO’s and linked partners to deliver supplementary coaching classes to the county clubs.
The clubs equity policy ensures that volunteers are on hand to facilitate entry and participation for potential players from the spectrum of our social community.
An under 16’s ladies team is in its first season with a current complement of 25. This has developed from the liaison between players siblings, coaching and club cohesion. We are currently linking with the RFUW to affiliate this team.
Our junior section unveiled a 5 year plan to recruit, develop and crucially, retain players.
This is in its 4th year and is proving a gradual success.
Undoubtedly, the appointment of our own CRDO has led to recruitment of young players via schools, but more importantly through peer pressure, verifying that we provide a safe and secure environment to develop players.
More players have led to an increased coaching staff and volunteers as parents buy in to the Ilkley experience.
The club has secured the services of 3 senior coaches which have led to a successful and retained senior squad.
We have raised or borrowed several thousand pounds over the last 5 years which has been spent on the infrastructure of the club. Together with our CASC status which ensures no player is paid, this displays to our volunteers that all their time and efforts are given directly to the development of rugby at the club.
We have volunteer co-ordinating officers who are charged with recruiting new volunteers, ensuring a warm welcome, and directing their efforts effectively.
All coaches and volunteers attend accredited courses linked to their specific requirements to enable them to deliver their required skills.
The club retains an enthusiastic Public relations officer who ensures maximum press coverage and maintains a healthy website.
The club hosts an annual lunch and awards to show their gratitude to volunteers efforts.”
22nd January 2008
Ilkley Rugby Club up there with the best
Ilkley Rugby Club learned this week that they have earned from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Year Four accreditation for Seal of Approval.
This prestigious award certifies that the club follow strict guidelines on how the Junior and youth section of the club is run. It covers equity in sport, child well-being, coaching methods and personnel, strategic planning, safety issues, and a host of other elements of governance.
Junior and Youth section chairman Tom Gillon said that the club and its committee have worked hard to achieve this award. Furthermore, it is testimony to all the hard working volunteers who have gained coaching awards and put so much time and effort into ensuring the young people of Ilkley and area receive such a rewarding experience in playing of and training for Rugby at the club. The Junior and Youth section caters for players from under 7 to under 19.
It is believed that Ilkley RFC is one of, if not the, first club in the whole country to be awarded Seal of Approval Year 4 accreditation.
Next year Seal of Approval broadens its scope to cover the whole club. Chairman Richard Scargill said that he felt the club was well up to challenge and was confident that it already meets most of the new stipulations. “We will be working hard over the next twelve months to ensure the club produces the best possible environment for all players, no matter what age, to enjoy the wonderful sport that is Rugby Union”.
He added, “the new Development Project will be a symbol of the club’s ambition to be at the leading edge of sport providers in the community for years to come.”
This weekend the club is holding its third annual Volunteers’ lunch ahead of the league match with Huddersfield YMCA. The lunch will be attended by a number of local dignitaries. Over 100 volunteers were invited to attend, demonstrating huge enthusiasm for the club and the game. These numbers give the club comfort of sustainability for future generations of Rugby players at Ilkley. Sustainability is, of course, an important issue for grant funders considering the merits of the club’s recently announced Development plans.
Ilkley are regarded by their governing body, the RFU, as a “beacon club” in that they have Seal of Approval, as well as employing a full-time Community Rugby Development Officer.
Dave Duxbury delivers rugby coaching into Ilkley Grammar School and the six primary schools in the area. The success of his input to the schools is now very evident. Not only do the Grammar School field teams at every age group, they now can compete well with other schools in local and national competitions.
Duxbury’s input into sport in the school was recently credited by Headteacher Mrs Gillian James for making a great contribution to the school itself earning a prestigious Sportsmark award for the second year running. The award recognises the delivery of the national PE, school sports and club links strategy. 90% of pupils are doing 2 hours or more of PE and Sport in school.
Duxbury’s contribution to a “transition day” last summer, for primary school pupils moving up to the senior school, also helped win an award for the Oakbank School Sports Partnership recently presented by the Youth Sports Trust at a national awards ceremony.
One recent outcome has the formation of a girl’s rugby team. Under the auspices of the Rugby Club there are about thirty or so enthusiastic young ladies who train regularly and are hopeful of putting out a competitive team in the near future. Duxbury commented that there are a number of girls with potential to make excellent players in the sport which has an ever growing participation by women and girls nationally.
The spring term will see the re-introduction of Tag rugby in the primary schools and already a number of teachers have made themselves available for a Tag Rugby coaching course which Duxbury is now qualified to deliver.
There will also be a series of sessions delivered by Leeds Carnegie Rugby team and a number of Rugby festivals for various age groups.
That is all in the future. The problem this week is to get a match played on Saturday. As of Monday evening the river was lapping at the rugby pitch and, with more rain to come, it will be all hands on deck to get a game on. In the event of a postponement the Volunteers’ lunch will go ahead as planned.
Dave Duxbury is sponsored by Skipton Financial Services, Magellan Residential, Myddelton Construction, Ferno UK and Micklegate Special Projects along with Sportsmatch and Bradford Council.
13th January 2008
Hamish Pratt, the RFU RDO indicated that the club has fulfilled all requirements to become one the VERY FEW clubs nationwide to be awarded year four cerification for Seal of Approval.
More will follow on this subject.
23rd October 2006
Ilkley have fulfilled all the requirements to achieve the YEAR 3 Seal of Approval.
The RFU RDO John Lawn indicated today that the club was amongst the few in the country to receive this recognition.
An award ceremony will be planned for a date in the future.
Watch this space.
Ilkley Rugby Club recognise their army of volunteers as they earn their year 2 Seal of Approval
pics of this event can be found at www.image-and-style.co.uk/371458 click on the front photo to view the album
Most amateur rugby, indeed amateur sport, is run by a willing band of volunteers.
Ilkley Rugby Club is no different. The government declared 2005 the Year of the Volunteer. The RFU established a recognition programme for volunteers. Ilkley Rugby Club decided to recognise their volunteers by holding a lunch prior to the recent league game with South Yorkshire rivals Wheatley Hills. The club sent out almost 90 invitations, a figure which even they found surprising!
50 plus attended the lunch, a sumptuous traditional Yorkshire shepherds pie with all the trimmings. It is testimony to the seamless joining of senior rugby on Saturdays and junior rugby on Sundays and gave those parents who don’t normally watch the senior game to appreciate what their youngsters are aspiring to.
Everyone from junior section coaches, to first aiders, physios, gatemen, and of course the hard-working committee were invited. One group invited was the infamous Thursday gang, a team of self-declared grumpy old men who clean up the club for the coming weekend. An award of the inaugural Golden Brush was made to a grandparent of two junior players who “just wanted to put a little bit back”. Jim Brown said he was delighted with the award, but that he preferred the meal and free bar!
Ilkley Rugby Club is fuelled by volunteers. It is a strictly amateur club run in a highly professional manner. They have a plethora of trained coaches at every age group of the junior section, so much so that they are beginning to fall victim to their own success. The large numbers of children and young people now playing their rugby at Ilkley means that their pitches are beginning to suffer from overuse. A large sum of money has already been spent on sand to try and see them through to the end of the season but a summer remedial programme is essential and will surely be costly.
One other important piece of news announced at the lunch is the award of the second year of the national Seal of Approval award. This is awarded only to those clubs who can demonstrate good practice is all areas of governance and the playing and coaching of the game at junior level. It sets them apart as one of the leading edge clubs in the country and is all part of the responsible attitude the club and its committee is taking to the community.
The award will be presented at half-time in a forthcoming Leeds Tykes premiership match. The Tykes are at the forefront of volunteer recognition, having entertained over 30 of Ilkley’s team of volunteers at the recent match against Bath.
Already the Ilkley club have almost completed the first year of a project to employ a full-time Rugby Community Sports Coach. Dave Duxbury’s work in the local schools and with the students at Bradford University has been an outstanding success with more participants at virtually all age groups and now more members of the club itself.
Thanks to the continuing support of the scheme’s three main sponsors Skipton Financial Services, Magellan Residential and Myddelton Construction together with Sportsmatch and Bradford Council they are now hopeful that, despite disappointment with various grant applications, sufficient funding is in place to go on to years two and three.
Ilkley Rugby Club is determined to maintain its status as one of the top junior clubs in the county and, indeed the country.
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