Tai Calon has received an award from Travis Perkins for ongoing efforts in the community in collaboration with the Dragons RFC Gateway project.

In September 2023 Tai Calon Community Housing expanded the partnership with Dragons RFC community team by commissioning the Tony Brown Gateway Rugby Programme. The Gateway project promotes learning important life skills in primary schools through sport whilst nurturing health and wellbeing.

This project doesn’t stop at visiting primary schools and providing sport sessions, team-building activities, and games. It also teaches the importance of teamwork, camaraderie and how sport can help support mental and physical health and wellbeing.

To fund this project, Tai Calon used the Travis Perkins Legacy Fund. This fund is awarded to Tai Calon by Travis Perkins for use in the community and because of this collaborative work between Tai Calon and Dragon’s RFC, Travis Perkins has presented Tai Calon with their ‘Travis Perkins – We Care’ award.

Tai Calon are proud to receive this award, and together with the Dragon’s Community team, we are committed to bringing more opportunities to Blaenau Gwent for young people.

Tai Calon’s wellbeing coach Beth Hapgood and the Property Services Managers, Craig Dobbins, Mark Williams and Gareth Donovan met at Rodney Parade with Travis Perkins to receive the award this week. We are extremely grateful to receive the award and would like to thank Travis Perkins for their support in this collaboration with Dragons RFC.

So far, Tai Calon and Dragons RFC have helped to implement –

  • The Gateway project in 13 primary schools across Blaenau Gwent,
  • Fit and fed rugby camps which help to provide meals for children during the school holidays
  • Give rugby a try sessions, which encourages children ages 11-15 to have a go at playing rugby.
  • Give coaching a try sessions. An opportunity to gain accredited coaching qualifications to enhance employment opportunities in any sector.
  • Rugby skills camps which include rugby coaching sessions involving current players and community team coaches

Following the resounding success of the partnership, Tai Calon will be expanding the project for the new school year (September 2024) again using the Travis Perkins Legacy Fund. The aim is to increase the number of schools engaging in the Gateway Programme to 18 which will potentially make the programme available to 9000 (YES 9000) pupils.