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Just the ticket: Rugby club's gesture for looked-after children

Just the ticket: Rugby club's gesture for looked-after children
11 January 2017

Darlington Borough Council and Darlington Mowden Park Rugby Club have joined forces to give a belated Christmas present to looked-after children and their carers.

Bosses at Mowden Park have pledged to offer free tickets for all looked-after children in Darlington, and their carers, to a forthcoming high-profile rugby match at The Northern Echo Arena, in Neasham Road.

The gesture is part of Mowden Park’s efforts to build on its strong links with the community, which have already been considerably expanded since the club moved to the Arena in 2012.

During the Rugby World Cup in 2015, the Arena played host to an open training session featuring New Zealand’s famous All Blacks squad. The venue will be in the spotlight once again, when it welcomes reggae chart toppers UB40 for a live performance in May.

Hilary Tillotson, Darlington Borough Council’s Placements and Adoption Service Manager, said: “We are very grateful to Darlington Mowden Park for offering us these tickets as a Christmas present to looked-after children and their carers. It’s a lovely gesture and one that I know is very much appreciated by the young people and carers alike. After the All Blacks’ visit, it's great that Mowden Park is hosting more high-profile events.”

Councillor Cyndi Hughes, Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: “This generous gift will certainly entertain and may even inspire some of our young people to take part in the extensive community training at Mowden Park.

“Darlington is a big-hearted town, where its people and companies go that extra mile for one another. This is a fine example of what it means to be a big-hearted town.”

Danny Brown, Director of Rugby at Darlington Mowden Park, said: “Some of the social care team from Darlington Borough Council came to have a look around the venue before Christmas. They do fantastic work for children and young people in the town, and the idea of giving free tickets seemed like a way of giving something back to the community.

“We hope as many young people as possible will take up the offer of a free ticket and that this will inspire them. Sport can be a life-changer, especially for young people who haven’t had the easiest start in life.”

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