Ulster Rugby has ‘kicked off’ its support for Mencap in Northern Ireland as the team’s Official Charity Partner for 2014/15.
By teaming up with the learning disability charity, Ulster Rugby will support Mencap’s Big Step Forward Appeal, which aims to raise at least £1.7m locally to build, equip and run its new Children and Families’ centre to be built in Newtownbreda. At the heart of the new centre, which will open in early 2016, will be Mencap’s relocated Segal House Nursery.
Vanessa Elder, Mencap in Northern Ireland’s Regional Fundraising Manager said, “We are thrilled to have secured such a high profile partnership. As our appeal partners, we hope Ulster Rugby fans and supporters will ‘stand up’ for our Big Step Forward appeal when we officially launch it in October, as our new Children and Families’ centre will change the lives of so many.”
“Having Ulster Rugby on our team is a huge boost for the appeal and the new centre. We really hope the supporters and fans will follow in the squad’s footsteps and take a big step forward for Mencap,” Vanessa said.
Each year, Ulster Rugby raises money through a series of events and initiatives in aid of a designated charity or voluntary organisation partner.
John Kinnear, IRFU Ulster Branch President 2014/15 said,
“I believe Mencap is the perfect fit for Ulster Rugby this season and I am really looking forward to seeing this exciting joint initiative succeed in raising as much money as possible to support Mencap’s Big Step Forward appeal. Mencap do a tremendous amount of work in supporting young people with a learning disability and their families and I have no doubt that the Ulster Rugby family will get behind this partnership and together we will make a ‘big step forward’.”