About Us
An independent charity. A community purpose.
Newark Rugby Community Foundation is a registered charity using sport, education and positive relationships to create opportunities for children, young people and communities across Newark & Sherwood.
Our Story
Born from a belief that sport changes lives
Newark Rugby Community Foundation is an independent registered charity associated with Newark Rugby Club. We were established on a simple but powerful belief: that sport — and rugby in particular — can be a vehicle for education, personal development and community connection.
As an independent charity, we have a distinct community impact purpose. We are governed by our own board of trustees and operate separately from the Club — though we work closely alongside it. The Foundation's role is to engage young people, remove barriers to participation and create structured pathways into sport and education. The Club provides the rugby environment: membership, age-grade competition, coaching and long-term player retention.
Together, we create a joined-up offer — from a child's first rugby session at age 3 through to Post-16 education, leadership qualifications and employment. Our work goes far beyond the pitch, and our programmes are delivered across 30 schools in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.
Our Framework
Educate. Energise. Empower.
Everything we do sits within one of three interconnected areas. This is not just a tagline — it is the organisational framework that shapes how we design, deliver and evaluate our work.
Educate
School sport, mentoring and personal development programmes that build skills, confidence and positive attitudes — delivered across primary, secondary and Post-16 settings.
Schools Programme · TREDS Active · TRY Again · Young Leaders & Qualifications · Newark Rugby Academy
Energise
Inclusive, enjoyable opportunities to be active — from early years movement sessions and tag rugby to school-to-club transition and age-grade rugby.
Rugby Explorers · Schools Programme · Player Pathways & School-to-Club Transition
Empower
Leadership qualifications, Post-16 education, careers support and mentoring that give young people the tools and confidence to shape their own futures.
Young Leaders & Qualifications · Newark Rugby Academy · Careers, Skills & Employability · TRY Again
Foundation & Club
Two organisations. One shared ambition.
The Foundation and Newark Rugby Club are separate organisations with complementary and clearly defined roles.
The Foundation
Community engagement, school delivery, mentoring, removing barriers to participation, structured pathways into sport and education, leadership qualifications, Post-16 provision and employer partnerships.
Newark Rugby Club
Club membership, age-grade rugby, player coaching and development, competition, long-term player retention and the rugby environment into which Foundation participants transition.
This partnership means a young person can move from their first Foundation session — in school, at a community event or through Rugby Explorers — into a full club membership pathway, with both organisations supporting them at each stage.
Our Values
What guides everything we do
Our programmes are built on the values of rugby — teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship — which we refer to collectively as TREDS. These values underpin every session, every relationship and every outcome we work towards.
Teamwork
Achieving more together than we ever could alone.
Respect
For ourselves, each other and the communities we serve.
Enjoyment
Sport should be fun — for every child, at every level.
Discipline
Commitment, consistency and doing the right thing.
Sportsmanship
Competing and participating with integrity and grace.
Governance
A charity you can trust
Newark Rugby Community Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity No. 1219783), governed by a board of trustees committed to transparency, accountability and the highest standards of charitable practice. We are regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
View our entry on the Charity Commission registerRegistered Charity
1219783
England and Wales · Charity Commission regulated · Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
Board of Trustees
The people who govern our charity
Our board of trustees provides strategic oversight and ensures Newark Rugby Community Foundation operates in line with its charitable purposes, legal obligations and the highest standards of governance. Trustees serve in a voluntary capacity and bring a wide range of professional expertise to their roles.
Alan Staines
Chair of Trustees
Andrew Fearn
Trustee
David Godfrey
Trustee
Alan Swain
Trustee
Steve Chamberlain
Trustee
Chris Armond
Trustee
Richard Davison
Trustee
All trustees are listed on the Charity Commission public register. View on the Charity Commission register
Find out more about our work
Explore our programmes, read about our impact, or get in touch to discuss how we can work together.