Include Foundation becomes Eagles Foundation
15/06/2021
The Include Foundation has rebranded itself as The Eagles Foundation.
The charity, established in 2001 by Sheffield Eagles, has been undergoing a rejuvenation over the last six months to re-establish itself and to take advantage of the once in a generation opportunity that Sheffield’s involvement in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup brings.
The Foundation recently employed Andrea Dobson, England Rugby League’s most-capped women’s player, and has a further series of exciting announcements to make in the forthcoming weeks, heralding good news for Rugby League in the city.
“We have decided to rename the Foundation to make a stronger association with the Sheffield Eagles brand,” explains David Butler, one of the Trustees of the charity.
“Our vision is to harness the power of sport to make a lasting, positive impact on individuals lives in the Sheffield City Region and we will make more cut through and have better recognition if we use the power of the Sheffield Eagles brand.
"Over the 20 years of the charity’s existence we have worked with hundreds of thousands of young people in the city and it is the Eagles brand which has excited them and encouraged them to take up the game and take part, so it is logical to make this association more visible.”
Despite the new name, the Eagles Foundation remains an independent charity and is governed by a board of trustees which are entirely separate to the Sheffield Eagles’ board of directors.
The Trustees have agreed a two year, short term strategic plan, covering the period 2021-2023.
“Good governance is so important in today’s sports development landscape and the trustees have spent some time over the last six months or so to make sure that everything governance-wise is in place and that the Eagles Foundation is fit for purpose and operating as it should be,” continued Butler.
“It's taken a little bit longer to put some things in place than we had expected, but it's great to be in a position where we can announce the name change and start to the conversations in public and with partners about driving Rugby League forward again in the city.
"We’re really excited about the next six months and the steps we plan to take!”
The Eagles Foundation will shortly have an online home with a section on the Sheffield Eagles website - www.sheffieldeagles.com - but supporters of the game in the city will also be able to follow the Foundation’s activities on social media as follows:
Facebook: @TheEaglesFoundation
