Parkinson's UK supports the Week of Social Impact from the Rugby Football League

We're working with the Rugby Football League (RFL) to deliver a new programme of continuous professional development training to help more rugby coaches better understand the needs of people living with Parkinson's.

The training forms part of the RFL's annual Week of Social Impact which takes place every October. It aims to increase awareness of charities and foundations working to tackle inequality, and deliver more health and wellbeing opportunities for communities across the UK.

The aim of the training programme is to help rugby coaches understand Parkinson's as a condition and how rugby can be made more adaptable and accessible for people living with the condition.

Expanding rugby projects

As a charity, we have funded a number of walking rugby projects across the UK and it is hoped that more rugby clubs and foundations will start to use opportunities to work with local Parkinson's communities in the future.

Leeds Rhinos Foundation are one of the major success stories from our grants programme and they have shared some of their findings from delivering adaptable walking rugby for people living with Parkinson's.

Lauren Mulligan, Physical Activity Engagement Officer at Parkinson's UK, said:

"It's been fantastic to work with the team from the RFL for their Week of Social Impact.

"As a charity, we know how important physical activity can be for a person’s physical and mental wellbeing, plus having that social connection can give people a real boost.

"I’m delighted to be able to train RFL accredited rugby coaches and to help them better understand the needs of people living with Parkinson's. Rugby is an accessible sport for all ages and abilities and it's great to see the work of the RFL Foundation for the Week of Social Impact."

The Week of Social Impact

The Week of Social Impact took place from Monday 20 October to Friday 24 October. It featured a range of different activities and engagement events with community foundations and charities across England. Find out more about the Week of Social Impact on the RFL's website.