By Chris Wearmouth 
Following another successful Project:500 half-term camp full of fun, activities and healthy eating, the Coventry Rugby Foundation is now seeking help from the city’s business community to expand the programme over the forthcoming Christmas period to Feed:500.
As Taiwo Owatemi MP highlighted in a recent speech in the House of Commons, thousands of young people suffer from food poverty in the city of Coventry, a situation which is being exacerbated by the pressures of the ongoing pandemic on jobs and income.
The Coventry Rugby Foundation is seeking to build on the successes shown by Project:500, which was launched in the summer of 2019 and is designed to give disadvantaged children and young people both activity to keep them fit and healthy over the school holidays and the nutrition that they might not otherwise have got, which this half-term included breakfasts and lunches.
This Christmas the Foundation would like to:
- Run a two-week programme of nutrition and exercise for Coventry’s disadvantaged young people
- Distribute nutritious pre-prepared meals during Christmas week from Butts Park Arena to be heated at home
- Hold a three-day multi-sport camp at Butts Park Arena between Christmas and New Year, with a final food package to cover the New Year bank holiday
- The club will arrange for a nutritionist to compile a meal plan aimed at improving youngsters’ focus and energy for school time with recipes and top tips for how best to shop in the future going into January
The Coventry Rugby Foundation has had superb support for Project:500 from some of the city’s companies, such as Countrywide Tax and Trust, Coventry Scale Ltd, Charter Savings Bank and the Coventry Rugby Supporters Club, along with a number of individuals, but to expand the programme as we would like to we need more help.
This could be financial, for example to fund the increased number of staff required to prepare the meals and run the multi-sport camp, or value-in-kind, such as food packaging and catering equipment.
Every gesture and donation will be gratefully received and could brighten the Christmases of hundreds of young people in need. Contact Hal Sparke (Foundation Manager) via hsparke@coventryrugby.co.uk to find out more about getting involved!
Thank you for your continued support.
