Tyneside Wheelchair Rugby Club Has Received A £500 Grant From Law Firm Irwin Mitchell

The creation of the city’s first wheelchair rugby team, Tyneside Wheelchair Rugby Club, has been given a boost after it received a grant from the Newcastle office of law firm Irwin Mitchell.

The firm’s Don’t Quit, Do It campaign seeks to support the benefits both physically and psychologically of being involved in disability sports and is supported by multiple gold-medal winning Paralympian Hannah Cockroft MBE.

Charities, individuals and groups involved in inclusive sport are eligible to apply for money to help with the cost of training, buying specialist equipment or taking part in special events. The programme has already given out £4000 to projects across the UK.

The £500 grant from the law firm help the newly formed team get off the ground, with the money going towards running costs and ensuring people in and around Tyneside have the chance to try this fast-paced sport.

The team has been set up as part of the national GB Wheelchair Rugby Association (GBWRA), with investment from Sport England and others, with Hartlepool resident Dale Thompson taking the lead in establishing the club. The number of clubs in the country has grown from eight to 20 in less than six years.

Fran Mayes, who heads up the Personal Injury team at Irwin Mitchell’s Newcastle office and is lead Partner of the SI team, said: 

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"Through our work we have seen on numerous occasions how sport has been able to help our clients with rehabilitation following serious injury.

“Unfortunately, while there are over 12 million people with disabilities in the UK, only one in six actually takes part in sport regularly.

“Part of this is due to the lack of funding and availability of specialist equipment and, with that in mind, we hope these grants will help support individuals and sports teams so they can realise their true potential.

“When we heard Dale’s story we were so impressed with his drive and determination to establish a team in Tyneside, opening up the sport to people who previously may not have had the opportunity to try it.

“We hope the sport can inspire others to realise that disability need to be a barrier to sport.” Fran Mayes - Partner

The sport has a reputation for being fast-paced and is one of the few full-contact disability sports. Its popularity has continued to rise since being one of the highlights of the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

Dale Thompson, GBWR Regional Development Officer for Northern England, said: ““It is fantastic to see a club starting in Newcastle, there are so many people wanting to access wheelchair sports there was a desire to include wheelchair rugby, and with the help of Irwin Mitchell, now we can.

“The money will really help up kick-on with establishing the club and will go towards funding the training venue, wheelchair maintenance, and necessary equipment. The fundamentals essentially if we are to achieve longevity as a club.

“The sport is sometimes known as ‘murderball’ due to the frenetic nature of the game, but it is very fun and those who take part always do so smiling.”

Irwin Mitchell is a proud supporter of disability sport and has partnerships the England Amputee Football Association, Boccia England and a host of other related organisations.

The law firm was also the Official Legal Services Provider of the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 at the London Stadium in July last year, while it also supported the one-day Superhero Series event held at Dorney Lake in Windsor in August.

Read more about Irwin Mitchell's Don't Quit, Do It campaign.