Grant helps rugby club boost player safety

A Newcastle community sports team has boosted player safety with a £2000 grant.

Gosforth Rugby Football Club has bought post and flag protectors for its Broadway Playing Fields ground.

Officials say the equipment – funded by support from regional employer Banks Group – will help prevent player injuries during games.

They add the protectors will be used by the club’s newly-reformed second team Gosforth Phoenix.

The grant has also paid for boundary markers, which will help maintain sufficient space between junior players on the pitch and families on the sidelines.

Originally founded in the 1880s, the modern Gosforth club was formed in 1996 after the amateur players’ split from what became Newcastle Falcons and moved to its current ground ten years ago.

The volunteer-run club has more than 120 younger players on its books, with teams running from under-six to under-17 level. 

Neil Jamieson, patron and funding co-ordinator, said: “Safety is an absolute priority at all levels in the modern game.

“Keeping everything going comes at a cost and, as a small community club, our budgets are always stretched.

“Banks’ support will help us focus on taking full advantage of the momentum we’ve built over the last few years.”

Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at Meadowfield-headquartered Banks Group, whose property division is building the nearby 900-home Kingston Village development, added: “It’s brilliant to see how our funding is having such a practical impact.

“We wish the club every success for the rest of the season and beyond.”

Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North, formerly known as the County Durham Community Foundation.

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