The Ospreys in the Community foundation was the first of its type in the Pro14 and celebrated its sixth anniversary during 2021 and its work has never been more needed or appreciated.
The reach and influence of Ospreys in the Community (OITC) has had a very real impact and influence on the lives of the people within the communities the Ospreys represent.
OITC was created back in 2015 with the vision and aim of “creating a vibrant and sustainable foundation” and “to harness the power of the Ospreys to make a positive difference in our communities.”
With an experienced Board of Trustees with backgrounds across the public and private sectors to guide and offer their expertise, OITC is well equipped to make a real impact where it matters most.
The foundation has charitable status and operates by generating their own funds, accessing grant funding, and partnering with local businesses. With all income utilised to extend the reach and impact across communities within the region.
The aim of OITC is to make a very real difference to people’s lives and to offer meaningful support and make a positive difference to everyone from young children to older people.
The three new key pillars of the Ospreys in the Community foundation:
Health and Wellbeing
Sport and Physical Activity
Education and Employability
Tom Sloane, Foundation Manager of the Ospreys in the Community, said:
“We set out in 2015 to work with 20,000 people and that quickly escalated and we have now been working with 40,000 people every year and that was all pre-Covid-19 and all face-to-face."
“Moving forward the pillars that support OITC foundation are Health and Wellbeing, Sport and Physical Activity and Education and Employability and will allows us to work on key initiatives and agendas laid out by the Welsh Government and Health Boards.
“We also work alongside public, private and other charity organisations to make sure we weren’t just putting a ball in young people’s hands, and that we are aligned and providing a real service to our communities.
“Those pillars have served us well and allowed us to hone in on services and projects, like our TACKLE programme for education, and coaching young people in different environments, such as schools and clubs.
“We have had to learn new skills to support in the new world we are all living and operating in.”
The Coronavirus Pandemic has had an impact on the numbers of events the OITC can hold but it has not stopped its ability to engage with and support the people who need it most.
While OITC has had many successes with a range of different projects during the short period it has been in existence, there are two that have made a very real difference to people’s lives.
TACKLE is an employability programme specifically designed to work with young people, who have been disconnected from school, employment or education.
Its aim is to give young people who face tough life challenges the opportunity to gain qualifications through workshops and work placements and gain access to real employment.
The Sporting Memories project supports people living with dementia, depression and loneliness by using sport to recall sporting memories of watching or playing sport.
Working alongside local rugby clubs in the region, Sporting Memories has provided much needed social contact with the outside world during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
“We have had some huge successes and for a small team we have really excelled and delivered in key areas for the Ospreys community,” said Sloane.
“There is a hunger out there to be involved with us, whether that is a school, club or a community organisation. We have staff who are passionate about making a change to people’s lives.
“There have been challenges, for very obvious reasons, but we have prided ourselves of being able to help those people who have been hit by the pandemic the most.
“We have still managed to bring people together and to unite them even if that has meant working online and virtually. We have used funds to buy tablets for people to make sure we could connect with them."
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