Rugby
Falcons Receive HRH Princess Royal
12 February 2008
Newcastle Falcons were honoured to receive Her Royal Highness Princess Royal and Patron of the Wooden Spoon when she opened the Falcons Learning Centre today. Her Royal Highness, who is a keen rugby fan, was accompanied by Falcons owner Dave Thompson, Wooden Spoon chairs Danny Hodgson and Mike Stephenson and RFU Director of Elite Rugby, Rob Andrew.
The Falcons Learning Centre offers extended learning and Information Communications Technology (ICT) facilities to young people and adults outside of the traditional confines of a school environment. It is funded by the Wooden Spoon, Playing for Success, Newcastle City Council, Northern Rock Foundation and the Falcons to harness the power of rugby and educate young people in an informal and motivational environment.
The Princess Royal observed children from Kingston Park school taking part in projects in the Falcons Learning Centre held by Learning Centre Manager, Elisabeth Stanley. The children were working on projects such as video editing, digital imagery, music generation and literacy and numeracy engagement.
Her Royal Highness then moved onto watch a demonstration of power chair rugby with players from Percy Hedley before meeting Falcons director of rugby, John Fletcher, who said: “It was a pleasure to meet Her Royal Highness and gain recognition for our Learning Centre, which helps to harness the motivational power of rugby to educate and inspire young people.”
As the Falcons Academy showed their kicking skills on the pitch, a tag rugby tournament took place indoors, whilst schoolchildren who have benefited from Wooden Spoon funding greeted The Princess before she moved to the Platinum Suite at the Falcons ground to greet the Learning Centre funders, Wooden Spoon members and the Falcons sponsors.
Assisting Her Royal Highness in unveiling the plaque to commemorate the official opening of the Learning centre, Director of Elite Rugby, Rob Andrew MBE thanked the sponsors who funded the Learning Centre to help young people access education through rugby.
Rob said: “Sport has the power to help young people feel inspired to learn, and the Falcons Learning Centre is a working example of how learning can be fun for young people whilst assisting them in skills such as literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.”
The Princess Royal received a posy of flowers from Jordan Telford, a pupil of The Grove Special School, Berwick, who was also joined by Falcons and England International players. Jordan, 8, said: “I was really pleased to stand with the Falcons players, and when I met The Princess she shook my hand and smiled at me.”
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