Tackle LIFE intervention begins

Blues Foundation are proud to announce that delivery has begun on our latest exciting project, Tackle LIFE, which has been created to promote positive life choices among young people.

The recent easing of coronavirus restrictions has allowed the project to begin with several young people joining us at Goldington Road – home of Bedford Blues RFC – last week (18th May 2021) to begin this early intervention programme.

Tackle LIFE is delivered in partnership with Bedford Borough Council and Bedfordshire Police with very specific targeted objectives as Blues Foundation look to provide an alternative education and learning experience for vulnerable young people.

Part of this project will look into helping young people at risk of offending, gang crime and other vulnerabilities or challenges within society.

In 2017, government statistics showed that the number of first-time offenders had decreased by 86% from ten years previous and has since dropped minimally in the years thereafter. Blues Foundation hope to be able to enable this statistic to continue to fall through projects like Tackle LIFE.

This intervention aims to inspire, develop skills and support each young person involved on the project and help them understand the importance of wellbeing – both mentally and physically – including its role in tackling wider issues and societal challenges.

Using the power of sport and rugby in particular, Tackle LIFE aims to build resilience, discipline and teamwork skills as well as offering increased access to education which has been put at a significant disadvantage due to the COVID pandemic.

There will be a series of workshops undertaken throughout the project which will again be used to develop confidence, resilience and teamwork. We were pleased to welcome Foundation Ambassador, Max McMurdo to our very first session last week, where all participants were shown how to create a phone stand from often reclaimed items such as pallet board and copper pipe.

Bedford Blues second row and notable Blues Foundation supporter, Oli Curry was also on hand to discuss the power of sport and exercise as a device to support wellbeing; this included showing everyone around the Blues gym to demonstrate some quick and simple exercises which could be done from home.

In the coming weeks, Blues Foundation will look to increase these enrichment opportunities to ensure all key delivery objectives are met.

Thank you to Max and Oli for their help in the initial first session and we look forward to welcoming them – and other notable Bedfordshire figures – to join us in future weeks to impart as much knowledge and expertise as possible on all participants.

Tackle LIFE is the latest Blues Foundation project to launch; keep checking our website regularly and all our social media channels to hear first about our upcoming initiatives; or sign up to our newsletter by clicking here for regular updates.

You can find Blues Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Alternatively, you can contact Blues Foundation Manager, Tom Harwood via email at info@bluesfoundation.org.uk with any specific questions you may have.