Rugby4Heroes presents RBL Warwick Branch with third donation of £1500!

Delighted to confirm that last night we presented the third of our donation cheques from Rugby4Heroes 2014 – this one was for the princely sum of £1500 to Royal British Legion Warwick Branch. A similar one will shortly be presented to the Royal British Legion Leamington Branch

Pictured below are Gaz Nash and Mike Vallance presenting the cheque to Branch Chairman Bert Allan, President Anne Prout-Richardson, Poppy Appeal supremo Keith Talbot and Branch Standard Bearer John Wiseman.

3rd Annual Rugby4Heroes Ball – Tickets selling fast!

The 3rd Annual Rugby4Heroes Ball will take place at the Warwickshire Golf and Country Club on Saturday 25th October 2014 at 7pm. Benefit charities are 353 and ABF The Soldiers Charity.

This year’s ball theme and dress code is The 1920’s – inspired by the end of the First World War, the growth of Speakeasy liquor and music joints, new fashion trends, The Wall Street Crash and of course legendary parties as featured in the Great Gatsby!

Tickets and tables are flying out of the door – we have already sold 15 out of 18 tables and the early bird offer of £400 per table of ten ends on 31st July.

So if you want a table or tickets, act soon! Email Mike if you want a table or tickets; you will need to pay a deposit of £20 per person or £200 per table by 31st July to secure this offer, with the balance to be paid by 30th September.

 

OLRFC Rugby4Heroes Online Shop launches 2014 festival merchandise range!

Orders now being taken! 

With only 60 days to go to this year’s Festival, OLRFC Rugby4Heroes and 2014 Festival sponsor Akuma Sports launches 2014 festival merchandise range! Working closely with Akuma who have kindly supplied the Festival apparel for the last four years, a new and exciting range has been developed to appeal to all.

As this year marks the 100^th anniversary of the start of the First World War, we have designed a commemorative rugby shirt. We have also added a new cycle shirt to the range, with a similar commemoration theme, and a number of other new products.

We are proud to unveil this year’s festival apparel range and all profits from the apparel will as before go to the benefit charities of OLRFC Rugby4Heroes appeal! Last year a profit of over £350 was contributed to the overall festival profits from sale of merchandise!

Why not show your support for these worthy causes and place an order via Mike Vallance on trekmonkey46@aol.com, stating your size and colour requirements. Alternatively click the link below to go straight to our online shop , simply set up your shopper’s account (takes 2 minutes) and you can order and pay directly.

http://akumasportswear.com/oldleams/index.php/

You can call Mike on 07545 602029 if you would like to discuss further.

Orders take 3 weeks from initial enquiry to delivery and payment is normally taken on receipt of order.

 

Sad news of the passing of Major Bruce Prout-Richardson

The Rugby4Heroes team were very sorry to hear the sad news of the passing of Major Bruce Prout-Richardson, President of Warwick Branch of the Royal British Legion and a true friend and supporter of the OLRFC Rugby4heroes Festival.

Bruce was instrumental in involving the Royal British Legion from day 1 of the Festival event in 2009, and personally attended every Festival event each year, presiding over our Service of Remembrance and leading the tribute to our fallen Warwickshire servicemen.

Bruce served in the British Army in the Second World War, and was wounded in Operation Market Garden near Arnhem in September 1944 whilst serving with the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division. He also served in the Anglo-French taskforce operations to capture the Suez Canal in 1956.

A true gentleman and an energetic President, he was respected by all who knew him. We send our sincerest condolences to his wife Ann, son Stuart, and his family and friends’.

More information one the RBL Warwick branch.

OLRFC Rugby4Heroes rocked 353 Ball 2014

OLRFC Rugby4Heroes rocked 353 Ball 2014. We attended along with friends of Rugby4Heroes and our charity partners 353.

This year’s Ball moved to a Saturday for a change as it would of marked the 3rd anniversary of the loss of Conrad Lewis and Lewis Hendry. Everyone at Guy Nelson Hall, Warwick School toasted all those brave men and women that served in Afghanistan.  The evening was a great success with raffles and auctions raising vital money for the charity, but also provided great entertainment. Performances from Big Secret Sound featuring Andrew James with 353 charity single Soldier On and John Cochlans Quo.

The event is being run by the 353 Trust which was set up in the memory of Conrad, who heroically became the 353rd soldier to lose his life in the theatre of Afghanistan. Conrads citation in his ‘mention in dispatches’ mentioned that he would do anything for his comrades and that’s exactly what we are trying to continue to do in his memory.

The aim is to deliver much needed, long-term support to a variety of charities, soldiers and their families. Please help us and 353 support these vitally important causes.

100% of all funds raised go to help the smaller charities that don’t receive the high profile ‘headline’ donations, but do a fantastic job to support our troops and their families in unique ways. These include: The Paracharity, The Parachute Regiment Afghanistan Trust, Nowzad Dogs and Troop Aid based in Selly Oak Hospital. All great, hard-working charities, all deserving our help.

It was another fantastic night to remember.

Keep us the support of Soldier On please guys

Download it from iTunes 

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OLRFC Rugby4Heroes welcomes Unitemps as festival sponsors

OLRFC Rugby4Heroes welcomes Unitemps as festival sponsors! For the sixth year running, Old Leamingtonians RFC will again host the ‘Rugby for Heroes’ in aid of service charities. Taking place on the 16th-18th May 2014 the team are aiming to host their most successful festival of sport, music and family fun yet. All profits generated from the Festival will be donated to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, The Royal British Legion and 353, a charitable trust set up by the family of Private Conrad Lewis, Mentioned in Despatches for his actions prior to being killed in Afghanistan, February 2011.

In the last five years, OLRFC Rugby for Heroes has raised more than £30,000 for various service charities. The team has been busy engaging sponsors for support of the Festival, and this year the Club is pleased to welcome the University of Warwick-based Unitemps as the lead 2014 Festival sponsor.  The Club is also proud to welcome Akuma Rugby, Bespoke Wheels, Chapter, Equiniti Paymaster, and Liquidblu as official 2014 Festival sponsors.

Andrea Skelly from Unitemps said “We are thrilled to be sponsoring the 2014 OLRFC Rugby for Heroes Festival in raising money for some incredible causes. The event will support major Armed forces charities as well as honouring all our brave servicemen and women, whose dedication and professionalism is truly outstanding. The rugby community is a close-knit family, and it again unites to celebrate this weekend of sport, music and fun while raising essential funds for our heroic troops. As a university-owned staffing service providing work opportunities for students, graduates and the wider community, Unitemps understands this ethos; one of the many reasons we wanted to be involved in this festival”.

OLRFC Club Chairman, Richard Wormell, said; ‘the Club is very proud to be associated with ‘Rugby for Heroes’ and fund raising for the charities it supports. We thank all the event sponsors for their generous support. Special mention also to the Festival team, for all their hard work and efforts, in organising a great and worthy fundraising event. I am looking forward to a thoroughly entertaining weekend of rugby, music and fun’.

The event runs 16-18^th May 2014 at Old Leamingtonians RFC with Live Music, Beer Festival, Air Displays, our Remembrance service and plenty of Rugby! The Weekend Festival Ticket price will be just £15 for 18+ adults for the whole weekend; under 18s will go free! Supporters can also attend with a day pass on the Friday night (£10), Saturday (£8) or Sunday (£5).

Anyone who wants to register to take part in some way or to bring a team to play, can go to the Festival registration page on www.rugbyforheroes.org. Senior mens and ladies rugby team registration fees are £100 per team* before 15^th February, and £150 after 15^th February.  Camping is available on site at £10 per person for the whole weekend or £20 per person for caravans and motor homes.

 

Unitemps sponsors OLRFC Rugby4Heroes 2014

Unitemps sponsors OLRFC Rugby4Heroes 2014 and is a welcome addition to the #Rugby4Heroes growing family!

Andrea Skelly from Unitemps said “Unitemps is thrilled to be sponsoring the 2014 OLRFC Rugby 4 Heroes Festival and supporting this fantastic event in raising money for some incredible causes.

We are really excited to be involved in the sixth year of this great event. The fundraising this weekend will support major armed forces charities as well as honouring all our brave servicemen and women, whose dedication and professionalism is truly outstanding.

The rugby community is a strong and close-knit family, and as it unites again to celebrate this weekend of sport, music and fun while raising essential funds for our heroic troops, this sense of community is something that everyone involved should be very proud of.

As a university-owned staffing service providing work opportunities for students, graduates and the wider community, Unitemps understands this community ethos. We recognise teamwork and value supporting each other, which is part of the reason we wanted to be involved in this festival”.

“If you are looking for part-time or full-time work, or you are a business owner seeking talented and reliable temporary staff, please do get in touch with Unitemps to find out how we can help you.”

Wishing all the players and supporters a wonderful weekend – and keeping our fingers crossed for good weather!”

You can find out more about the company online www.unitemps.com 

 

Christmas came early for the Rugby4Heroes team!

Christmas came early for the Rugby4Heroes team! A very nice Christmas surprise was received today when local Leamington firm Bespoke Wheels in partnership with Kumho Tyres called us up and presented a £250 cheque to the OLRFC Rugby4Heroes team.

Gaz Nash received the cheque below from the Mannion family who worked in partnership with Kumho Tyres to nominate a local charity cause.

That brings our 2013 campaign to a close with a best ever total fundraising this year for our causes to £10,650!!! The donation will be cleared and passed through to one of our benefit charities ASAP!

 

Thanks everyone for your outstanding support this year – Happy Christmas and a cracking 2014!

 

Supporting The Soldiers Charity Christmas campaign

As we approach the Christmas holiday season it’s timely to remember our servicemen and women who are deployed on operations away from their families.

So our fantastic captains at OLRFC Caz and Jason showed their support yesterday at The Crofts in partnership with our friends at The Soldiers Charity. This is a Christmas campaign on social media, using #celebrateoursoldiers and the charity will share this pic globally to over 68000 FB friends !

Happy Christmas everyone ! Mike, Gaz and the OLRFC Rugby4Heroes team.

Image: Jason Healy and Caz Spence

Local Paralympic star becomes patron of Old Leamingtonians RFC Rugby4Heroes

Local Paralympic star becomes patron of Old Leamingtonians RFC Rugby4Heroes

Mandip Sehmi has accepted an invitation to become patron of Old Leamingtonians RFC Rugby4Heroes which supports many armed forces charities through event fundraising. He will fulfill the new role alongside existing Patron BBC explorer, television presenter and public speaker – Monty Halls.

Mandip Sehmi who suffered a spinal cord injury in the summer of 2000 in a road traffic accident, now diagnosed as Teteraplegic and now a full time wheelchair rugby player and member of Stoke Mandeville Storm and the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby squad who came 5^th at London 2012.

Mandip explains “The highlight of my career so far has to be the 2012 London Paralympics. Being selected for a Paralympics is huge honour, to represent your country at the highest sporting level is what every athlete trains for. A home games made it even more special, I’m very proud to have taken part. After narrowly missing out on a medal my hunger and desire to gain one has fuelled my training even more, I hope to be selected for Rio 2016 and I hope my team can come back with a medal.

It’s hoped that Mandip’s role with the OLRFC Rugby4Heroes team will inspire a new generation of supporters, rugby and wheelchair rugby players, at one of the country’s best charity event teams.

Mandip says “I was introduced to Rugby4Heroes and 353 by OLRFC  Rugby4Heroes founder Mike Vallance. After an entertaining evening at last years ball I realised that this was a great cause and I wanted to help out in anyway I could. I was honoured to become a Patron for the OLRFC Rugby4Heroes. I am so grateful for the men and women in our armed forces, who keep us safe in Great Britain. OLRFC Rugby4Heroes and 353 help make people aware of the sacrifices made by people in our armed forces and their families, giving support wherever needed.”

Event co-organiser, Gaz Nash said: “We are delighted and privileged that Mandip has become Patron of Old Leamingtonians RFC Rugby4Heroes. He has been a great supporter of Rugby4Heroes over the last 12 months, promoting us and being a Rugby4Heroes ambassador. We look forward to welcoming him and his teammates to the ball on Saturday.”

Saturday (26^th October) sees the 2^nd annual OLRFC Rugby4Heroes charity ball at the Warwickshire Golf and Country Club with a ‘Masquerade’ theme. It is hoped that an evening of fantastic fun, marvelous music, fine food and charitable donations will help raise money for both 353 and Help for Heroes.

Six years ago, a group of rugby players and supporters at Old Leamingtonians RFC, with connections to the Armed Forces, decided to organise an all day Festival of rugby and music for charity. The day was a huge success and featured Men’s, Ladies, and Mini and Junior Rugby.

Five years on and over £26,000 has been raised from our annual rugby and music festival and black tie balls for Help for Heroes, 353, The Royal British Legion and a range of other forces charities.

 

More info on Mandip and Old Leamingtonians RFC