There are just two weeks remaining to support East London Rugby Club’s appeal for support from the community to raise money to support children with special educational needs (SEN) and give shower and changing facilities at its clubhouse in West Ham a wash and brush up.
The club at the Memorial Ground launched a fund-raising project with Crowdfunder, the UK’s largest crowd-funding platform, supported by NatWest Rugby Force and England Rugby.
Up to 250 people young and old, male and female, use the facilities on any given weekend. East London can see up to four men's teams playing on a Saturday, a women's team on Sunday, and also children's training at the weekend, which includes specialist coaching for children with special needs.
On top of that teams from Kings Cross Steelers RFC share the clubhouse facilities on Saturday and during the week a variety of teams from banks, universities and colleges play their home league games at the ground. Training also takes place during the week.
The club set an initial Crowdfunder target of £1,500 for the showers project which has been reached, and money now is going towards a £2,000 stretched target for SEN children. So far £180 has been donated. The NatWest RugbyForce 2017 project is also promising an additional £750 to the club dependent on targets being met.
East London communications officer Gary Bird said: “We thank everyone who has donated so far. Our changing and shower facilities are in constant use. They are looking tired and need a wash and brush up of their own so we are delighted to have reached our initial target to be able to give them a lick of paint and carry out some repairs to floor and wall tiles and fit some new shower heads, taps, towel hooks and shower curtains reserved for the match referees. Every penny we raise now is supporting our Sunday morning training sessions for children with special educational needs. We are one only a handful iof clubs across the country that does this.”
The club has until June 24 to continue raising money, which coincides with NatWest Rugby Force weekend. Anyone who can help is asked to visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/east-london-rugby-club-cleaning-up-our-act-1/

June 10 update
Thank you to the following people who have donated: Adam Peters and Paige Lyke; Nico; Ed Hoyle; Mark Hucker; Matt Pilkington; Lucas Estevez; Pierce Young; Joe Dunton; Paul Arkwright; Deniss Bulai; James Wilkie; John Jacobs; Simon Crick; Rob Park; Jim Crick; Rob Jones; Dan Bracken; David White; Adam Shapton; Dave Gibson; Corey Griffiths; Tony Lee; Tony Yiannakou; James Narramore; Phil Gallagher, Dan Roach-Williams, Rachel Edmead and Jacob Williams, Eden Hannam, James Miller, Andrew Brown, Mark Goodridge, James Hosier, Liam O'Brien, Samantha Leetch, Mikey Rowlands, Jason S, Stephen Beattie, Rich Gregory, Andy Davenport, Ciara Baxter, Norman Evans, Amanda Farrow, Rob Yiannakou, Cedric Nice, Michael Wright, and five anonymous donors. We have pledges totalling £1,680 with 14 days of the appeal left, and an extra £750 from NatWest Rugby Force.