Rugby scheme tackles youth crime

A PROJECT which uses rugby league to help steer troubled young people away from crime has been given a funding boost by a major sporting charity.
By The Newsroom
Published 28th Jan 2014, 17:56 BST

Your Sporting Chance has seen 37 children trained and mentored by Keighley Cougars’ stars Brendon Rawlins and James “Buster’” Feather in the last 18 months in a bid to help them stay out of trouble. Since the scheme in Keighley was first funded by West Yorkshire Police in 2012, the organisers say only one of the children involved has had any contact with police.

It has now been given a £16,000 grant from Sported, which was set up in the wake of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and describes itself as the UK’s largest sport for development charity, to fund a new two-year programme.

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West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson last week went to see the scheme in action at Cougar Park in Keighley.

Keighley Cougars’ captain Feather said: “Brendon, myself and not forgetting Korki our previous project worker, have really worked hard with this particular set of lads over the last 18 months and they’ve responded really well to our sessions.”