During the Week of Social Impact 2025, the RFL are proud to celebrate one year of the RFL Community Trust that launched during the inaugural Week of Social Impact in 2024.
This year, the RFL Community Trust has made strides with its dedicated social impact mission and introduced many exciting new initiatives through Trust partnerships.
We also have a key delivery network of 34 professional club charitable foundations across the country that harness the power of Rugby League to make a lasting difference in local communities. We are pleased to share the RFL 2025 Foundation of the Year winner as Wigan Warriors Community Trust and the two runner ups as Leigh Community Trust & Castleford Tigers Foundation.
This award recognises the outstanding work and impact across all areas of Rugby League development and social impact projects. This achievement is a testament to the dedication of the Foundation’s staff, volunteers, and partners, whose efforts continue to inspire and support people of all ages and backgrounds. Find your local area’s foundation here.
Further notable new social impact partnerships in 2025 include the Department for Work & Pensions, HNYUnited Grassroots, Raise Your Game, Easyfundraising and Parkinsons UK.
Department of Working Pensions
We are partners of the DWP Youth Hubs initiative that offers personalised, wraparound employment, skills, and wellbeing support to young people in the areas of highest need.
The Hubs bring support, such as CV and wellbeing advice, directly to young people – taking place in settings right at the heart of the community like sports clubs, libraries, and community centres.
With nearly one million young people not in education, employment or training, this expansion is helping to inspire a renewed sense of purpose and ambition in young people as well as breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Plan for Change. We are excited to support our community on this journey. Find out more here.
Humber & North Yorkshire UNITED
A pioneering initiative launched by NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) to unite sport in Humber and North Yorkshire around mental health, suicide prevention, and self-harm awareness. Originally established with professional sporting organisations including York RLFC Foundation, the collective is now entering its next phase by welcoming grassroots governing bodies which play a vital role in supporting communities through sport.
It will reach participants and clubs across all levels of sport, from under-6s to walking sports, paving the way for improved mental health awareness and access to support for potentially hundreds of thousands of people.
Together, we recognise that grassroots clubs are more than places to play sport – they are community hubs where early conversations about wellbeing can save lives. Find out more here.
Get involved this Week of Social Impact:
Raise Your Game
Raise Your Game is a digital fundraising platform that’s transforming how clubs, charities, and organisations fundraise, grow, and engage their communities. Now, this innovative approach is coming to the Rugby League family!
Enter the OuRLeague Life Raffle here!
This is your chance to win incredible monthly prizes and give back to the community you love, the Rugby League family. Every ticket helps fuel the life-changing work of the RFL Community Trust.
Join the draw. Fuel dreams. Become a champion for change.
Easyfundraising
The UK’s biggest retail fundraising platform designed to unlock free funding for clubs and teams. In just three months, over 30 clubs have registered with easyfundraising, a brilliant start that shows the appetite among clubs to find new ways to support their teams and local communities.
Historically, Rugby League clubs have received a share of nearly £50,000 in free funding through easyfundraising, simply by doing their everyday online shopping.
Sign up and find out more here!
Parkinson's UK
A charity that’s here to support every Parkinson’s journey, every step of the way; campaigning for better health and care. Funding research into groundbreaking new treatments. Running life-changing support services. Parkinson's UK promotes a powerful community united by one mission: improving life with Parkinson’s.
We are delighted that Parkinson’s UK is launching our CPD series during the Week of Social Impact, with a 90-minute workshop designed to help people feel more confident and prepared when delivering physical activity sessions for people living with Parkinson's.
These incredible partnerships enhance our existing social impact partners including:
- Community Intergrated Care
- Youth Endowment Fund
- SCL Education Group
- Access Sport
- Grass Maintenance Association
- RL Cares
- AXA XL Insurance
- Tempo Time Credits
