We started with one club who were determined to make a difference.
star* scheme began in December 2020 at
Chew Valley Rugby Club.
Rugby clubs are an extraordinary community place which will be familiar to anyone who has ever been involved with grassroots rugby.
Chew Valley RFC has delivered sport to the community for over 50 years and now has 12 junior teams, 3 senior men’s teams, and a women’s team.
As an RFU accredited club, it is acknowledged as a centre of excellence providing high-quality coaching and safeguarding support to an approved standard.
In 2020, during the lockdown resulting from the global COVID pandemic, a small group of CVRFC members met to discuss how the club could further impact the lives of young people in their immediate surroundings. From this conversation, the star* scheme was born.
star*: tackling adversity in childhood
We help young people to build resilience through positive relationships with trusted adults in safe spaces.
We make it possible for young people and families to overcome the impact of childhood or community adversity through play, relationships and the feeling of belonging.
We enhance grassroots rugby coaches and volunteers' understanding of trauma, so that they are more skilled in bringing adversity-experienced communities into the rugby family.
We provide a variety of rugby experiences in community settings, including local schools, to get young people active and excited about playing the sport.
We reduce barriers such as arranging transport to clubs, sourcing kit and equipment and subscriptions as well as connecting families with community services such as the police, social services, NHS and outreach programmes.
We train coaches and volunteers in trauma-informed approaches to equip them to better support adversity-experienced young people when they arrive at the club.
We consider ourselves a catalyst for social change, and recognise that trauma and adversity is indiscriminate and often invisible. We increase participation of specific groups of young people, including those with additional needs, marginalised race and ethnic groups and young people exposed to violence
