We celebrate decade of impact with Rugby League

Community Integrated Care is proud to celebrate ten years of impact through its pioneering partnership with Rugby League.

Since 2016, our charity has worked closely with the Rugby Football League, clubs and foundations to change the lives of thousands of people who draw on social care. We’re also proudly the Official Social Care Partner of the Rugby Football League.

Working together, we have created programmes and opportunities over the decade that address health, social and economic inequalities for people who have learning disabilities, autism, and other support needs, shaping a more inclusive sport and care system.

One of the partnership’s biggest impacts is our Learning Disability Super League. This ground-breaking adapted and non-competitive sport enables more than 400 people to play for the clubs they love at many of Rugby League’s greatest stages, including Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup Semi Final and major Super League fixtures. It has been assessed as creating more than £1.25 million of social value every year in Rugby League’s communities.

Our charity has also transformed hundreds of lives off the field too, including through our Inclusive Volunteering™ programme, which has given more than 500 people who face barriers in their lives specialist training and support to live with more independence in creative programmes inspired by the game.

Both the Community Integrated Care Learning Disability Super League and Inclusive Volunteering have been named as the Best Community Scheme at the international Sports Business Awards, and as the best innovation in the care sector at the Great British Care Awards.

The relationship has also driven important social change. Projects like On The Same Team – which was co-produced with people who have experienced disability hate crime and discrimination – are giving thousands of young people tools to tackle prejudice and build more inclusive communities. Meanwhile, our charity’s team of lived experience experts, The Support Squad, has helped make the sport’s events more accessible, including creating easy read guides to major events like the Betfred Super League Grand Final and Challenge Cup.

The strength of the partnership shone in the pandemic, when our charity and rugby clubs came together to support and protect thousands of lives. Rugby League clubs played a vital role in supporting us, by storing and distributing PPE, while we offered specialist guidance to help foundations reach and connect with communities at the heart of the crisis, showing the power of community at its very best.

As our partnership marks its tenth year, both Community Integrated Care and the Rugby Football League remain committed to building upon this legacy with clubs and charitable foundations, creating even greater impact together.

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, said, “Over the past decade, alongside our partners, we’ve created and grown innovative work that addresses deep health, social and economic inequalities, reflecting Community Integrated Care’s commitment to enabling people to live their Best Life Possible. We’re deeply grateful to our partners in the Rugby Football League and RL Commercial, Sport England, the clubs and foundations, volunteers, and the players and legends who’ve helped inspire and change lives. Above all, this milestone is about the people we support, their families and support teams. We’re excited to reach and support many more in the years ahead.”

Marc Lovering, RFL Director of Performance and Development, said, “The RFL are excited to celebrate this inspiring work that’s positively impacted Rugby League communities over the past decade in partnership with Community Integrated Care. Together, we’ve shown how our sport can change lives by opening doors, challenging inequalities and enabling people to achieve things they may never have thought possible.”

Viveen Taylor, Director of Equality Diversity Inclusion in Sport at Sport England, said: “Sport England is immensely proud to have supported Community Integrated Care’s game-changing work to support thousands of people through sport .They have tirelessly opened up opportunities for those who often rely on social care and face some of the biggest barriers to being active – giving transformative opportunities to be involved in Rugby League. This is a powerful example of the positive impacts that engaging in sport and the volunteering opportunities within it, can achieve.”

“We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved over the past ten years and are grateful to Community Integrated Care, clubs, foundations, volunteers, participants and the Rugby League Family as a whole, who have made this journey so special. We look forward to continuing this partnership and building even greater impact in the years ahead.”