Apollo Helps Future Rugby Stars Rocket into Action
By Effective Communication
A local business is helping rugby stars of the future rocket into action, by sponsoring a Cardiff Blues community initiative.
Apollo Teaching Services, which provides education staff to schools throughout South Wales, and has offices in Cardiff, Treforest and Bridgend, has signed up as the first community partners to the Cardiff Blues’ Future Blues scheme in the 2010/11 season.
Future Blues provides free coaching sessions to schools throughout the Cardiff Blues region, encompassing Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, South Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil.
16 Development Officers are involved in the scheme, with each officer working with different areas and age grades. The Development Officers are also responsible for the education and training of a team of up to 50 Community Officers per season.
There are 56 Rugby Clubs, 58 secondary schools and 321 primary schools within the Blues Region and each Development Officer is responsible overseeing and delivering support to the teachers and club coaches. The Development Officers also provide hands-on coaching to the pupils, including TAG rugby sessions and other activities.
Faith Olding, who founded Apollo Teaching Services in partnership with her brother Lee Olding, five years ago, said the service provided by the Future Blues scheme was vital to the community.
“At Apollo Teaching Services, we’re keen to support free sporting activities in schools. This is one of the only schemes of its kind, where young people can access high quality, free coaching from Wales’ elite rugby sides. With three sons of my own, I realise how important these kinds of activities are, and we are pleased to invest in the Future Blues to help it to continue.”
Nadine Griffiths, Cardiff Blues Development Officer for Under 8s to Under 12s said: “We provide each primary school in the area with four weeks of free rugby coaching sessions. It’s a great resource for schools, but to enable it to happen we need sponsors who will help us to fund the equipment we need, as well as the Cardiff Blues Community Coaches. We’re delighted Apollo Teaching Services have become a partner for next season.”
