SouthSEND Go To Tag Fest 2024
EssexWooden Spoon generously funded SouthSEND’s transport costs, enabling them to participate in TagFest 2024. This event, held in Coventry allowed the team to travel from Essex with a grant of £4,700. The festival aims to provide children with additional needs the opportunity to engage in rugby within a fun and inclusive environment, significantly impacting the local community.
Tag Fest is an international tag rugby festival organised by Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby. The event brings together teams from various regions, offering young players with learning disabilities a platform to showcase their talents and enjoy the sport. The festival fosters an atmosphere of joy, inclusivity, and community spirit, aligning with Wooden Spoon’s mission to support children and young people with disabilities or facing disadvantage across the UK and Ireland.
SouthSEND was established by Ally Gavin, a lifelong player at Southend RFC, upon realizing that his son, Sandy Gavin, couldn’t progress into contact rugby due to his additional needs. Collaborating with Wilco and other club members, Ally initiated dedicated training sessions focusing on fun and inclusion for children with additional needs. Since its inception in August 2022, SouthSEND has created a welcoming and supportive environment where children thrive, parents feel part of a community, and some participants have even transitioned into mainstream mini and youth rugby teams.
This new Tag Rugby Festival offers a competitive yet accessible rugby experience, designed to help children with additional needs develop confidence, social skills, and a love for the game. The Health & Wellbeing initiative is generously funded by a Wooden Spoon Charity by the fundraising that the rugby community do, allowing us to support SouthSEND’s dedication to making rugby accessible for all and fostering inclusion, enjoyment, and personal development.
Wooden Spoon is a charitable organisation committed to transforming lives through the power of the rugby community. Known for its dedication to supporting children and young people with disabilities or facing disadvantage across the UK and Ireland, the charity has funded numerous projects that create opportunities for young people. With a track record of impactful, community-driven initiatives, Wooden Spoon aims to improve lives through physical, educational, and social projects. Through collaborations like this, Wooden Spoon continues its mission to effect positive, lasting change in communities.
Support disability tag rugby projects across the UK and Ireland by donating to Wooden Spoon or learn more about the initiatives here.