Plymouth Rugby Club raise vital funds to support vital children’s charity

Members of Plymouth Argaum Rugby Club’s under 10’s team have taken part in a 12-mile bike ride to raise vital funds to support the Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) as the charity celebrates 10 years of dedicated service.

The coach for the Plymouth Argaum Rugby Club under 10’s team, Karl Sullivan, contacted the Children’s Air Ambulance in 2022 wanting to raise awareness for the lifesaving children’s charity by putting the charity’s logo on their Rugby shirts alongside the logo of RBC Brewin Dolphin, who sponsored the new shirts. Plymouth Argaum Rugby Club’s coach, Chris Janes works for Brewin Dolphin and they were proud to donate £100 earlier in the year to support the children’s charity.

One of the players at Plymouth Argaum Rugby Club required the Children’s Air Ambulance when they were born prematurely and needed specialist treatment, so the whole team wanted to come together to raise vital funds to support the charity’s missions and decided on a 12-mile bike ride.

On 03 September 2023, teammates, coaches and parents came together to undertake their charity challenge, cycling 12 miles along the Plym Valley Cycle Trail from Coypool Car Park to the Skylark Inn in Clearbrook Hamlet and then back to Coypool, proudly displaying the Children’s Air Ambulance logo on their Rugby shirts.

In total over 23 parents, children and coaches took part, raising £2,810 to support the charity’s lifesaving missions for critically ill babies and children across the UK.

“We know first-hand how important the missions of the Children’s Air Ambulance are, as when one of our players was born prematurely, they needed to be transferred in the helicopter to a hospital for specialist care,” said Plymouth Argaum RFC under 10s.

“The route we chose for the 12-mile bike ride stopped at the Skylark Inn, Dartmoor where we got even more people there involved in our fundraising, and we would like to thank them for being so accommodating and hosting us.

“We would encourage as many people as possible to support this children’s charity, as together we can continue to help them save countless lives of critically ill babies and children across the UK,” they added.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from one hospital to another for specialist care via the clinically designed helicopters, which provide a flying intensive care unit for babies and children.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to the Plymouth Argaum Rugby Club under 10’s team, including the coaches and parents for the vital amount they have raised which will help us to keep saving the lives of countless babies and children across the UK. A big thank you also goes to Brewin Dolphin for sponsoring the Rugby shirts to help raise further awareness of the vital charity,” expressed Community Fundraising Executive, Fiona Franklin.

“We receive no government funding, so we rely entirely on donations like this to keep our lifesaving service flying. Without the support from clubs and communities just like this, the high-speed transfers wouldn’t be able to continue,” she added.

The charity is celebrating its 10th anniversary of lifesaving high-speed transfers in 2023 and is encouraging people to visit a charity store and grab a bargain, donate unwanted clothing to one of many clothing banks, get involved in a challenge event, fundraise, or even sign up to volunteer.

To learn more or to support the charity, please visit www.childrensairambulance.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.