Working in partnership with the community foundations at Castleford Tigers, Featherstone Rovers, Wakefield Trinity and Wigan Warriors, our team of skilled former professional players will deliver Offload and the Movember Ahead of the Game programmes to 1,300 boys and young men over the next six months.
Colleagues from RL Cares, including Head of Wellbeing Programmes Keith Senior, Wellbeing Programmes Manager Bob Beswick and Player Ambassador Adrian Morley, were at the Wigan Youth Zone for the launch this morning when they met the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP, our partners and some of the young people who will be involved in these brilliant programmes.
RL Cares Director of Community Emma Goldsmith said: “We were delighted and excited to meet the Secretary of State and hear from her how highly regarded the work we do is at Westminster.
“It was also great to catch up with the club foundation staff who will be delivering Offload and Movember Ahead of the Game to young men and boys over the next few months.
“The foundation staff have already begun working on the ground to engage with young men and boys within their own communities and it is clear from the conversations taking place that there is a lot of enthusiasm for what we are doing.
“One teenager said this morning he felt the main reason interventions like Offload and Ahead of the Game are needed is that too many young men lack the confidence and self-belief to reach their potential.
“This initiative will provide the support and advice they need to thrive in all aspects of their lives by equipping them with the tools and techniques they need to build meaningful connections, improve their wellbeing and gain an increased sense of purpose.”
The launch was also attended by representatives from Edge Hill University, who will be evaluating the pilot programme to measure its effectiveness and impact. If the results prove positive, RL Cares hopes to scale up and grow this work from March 2026 onwards.
As well as the charity’s Offload programme, the new initiative will involve delivery of the brilliant Movember Ahead of the Game to boys, young men, their parents, carers and youth workers.
Emma Goldsmith added: “We feel really privileged to be working alongside Movember, who share our values and commitment to change men’s lives, and who continue to support us through this programme.”
To get involved in Castleford, Featherstone or Wakefield please click here
To get involved in Wigan please click here