The Thunder Community Trust is delighted to announce that they have received £7,980 from the Big Lottery Fund through their "Awards for All" programme.

The funding will be used to develop and deliver an intervention programme called the "Positive Schools" Programme which uses rugby league players to tackle current social problems across Tyne and Wear by encouraging teamwork, respect, inclusion, healthy living and respect.

This will encourage participants to respect each other and their local communities by raising awareness of how their actions can affect others, reducing incidents of bullying and anti-social behaviour.

 The programme will consist of assemblies and group work promoting relevant and on-going social inclusion topics that will both improve the participants local communities and them as individuals too. 

Director of Community Programmes Chris Hood commented:

"We are delighted to have received this funding from the Big Lottery Fund for our 'Positive Schools' programme."

"It has taken a lot of work but we feel this programme will make a big difference in 24 schools across Tyne & Wear"

As well as the funding from the Big Lottery Fund, Gateshead Thunder have donated match tickets for each of the projected 720 participant who complete the "Positive Schools" programme.
Hood continued:

"Schools are the heart of local communities across the UK."

"They provide a range of services and activities to help meet the needs of its pupils, their families and the wider community and are a hub of not only educational learning but where pupils can develop inter-personal skills, and personal & group identity."

"These are then taken into their local community, whether it be directly to their parents and families or beyond school, into employment or further education"

"It is therefore important that schools should not only provide a solid educational basis for life, they should also give a social one too."