A CHARITY set up by England rugby legend Lawrence Dallaglio is aiming to promote positive change for disadvantaged teenagers in the West Midlands.
The West Midlands branch of BNP Paribas – based in Solihull – will fund the scheme which will be rolled out to schools in the region.
The ‘Dallaglio RugbyWorks’ charity was founded to support young people excluded from mainstream education.
It aims to help them achieve sustained schooling, employment or training by leveraging rugby’s ‘values of discipline, respect and commitment’.
A charity spokesperson says it has helped hundreds of young people throughout the UK by providing an intensive, three-year development programme based on those values.
Dallaglio said: “Young people on our RugbyWorks programme are three times more likely to pass Maths and English Level 2 and twice as likely to still be in education, employment or training 12 months after leaving school.
“I am looking forward to working in partnership with BNP Paribas in the West Midlands to extend this important work and help young people here achieve their full potential.”
A charity spokesperson says its participants largely come from challenging backgrounds, suffering social problems such as troubled families, criminality and unemployment.
Dallaglio RugbyWorks coaches work hand in hand with teaching staff, helping develop a wide range of essential skills for excluded teenagers.
Chief executive of BNP Paribas Personal Finance Stephen Hunt said: “For us, it’s all about making a positive, local impact.
“As a prominent organisation in the region we saw the transformative role we could play in helping RugbyWorks launch its support and development network in the West Midlands.
“RugbyWorks’ unique approach gives teenagers a second chance in life, and we are honoured to be a part of it.”
It will be rolled out to Swanswell Extended Learning Centre and The Link Extended Learning Centre, both in Coventry.
