Community is at the heart of all we do at Northwood, so when the opportunity arose for us to sponsor the Dedication to Developing Our Future award at the Pride of Inverurie, we jumped at the chance.
We opened our office on West High Street in 2021, and with such a warm welcome, we immediately felt like part of the community. It’s been a pleasure to work alongside so many local businesses and support organisations, and our founder and Managing Director has even joined the Inverurie BID Board of Directors!
Honoring Local Heroes and Their Contributions
Last Friday, we recognised some of Inverurie’s champions. From individuals supplying toys for children who would otherwise go without, to large businesses donating tens of thousands of pounds to local charities, it was a truly humbling evening. The fantastic music, food and atmosphere were mere cherries on top!
Colony Park FC, Garioch Rugby and JAS Counselling were the fantastic finalists and it really was a difficult decision – they each deserve an award in their own right. But, eventually, we were delighted to crown the Garioch Rugby coaches as the winners 🏈🏆
Their passion for empowering their players is truly infectious. They have 40+ coaches and volunteers and over 200 kids per week showing up to learn new skills, build confidence and socialise. Training groups begin with under 6s in the Mini and Micro groups through the Youth section up to U18 and then on to the Seniors, all sections have male and female participants, with the Garioch Ladies team currently in the Scottish Premiership.
Each session is carefully planned and delivered, with safety and the players best interest at heart. We were blown away by the coaches dedication to inclusion and accessibility. As a one-team city, football can often be the go-to sport of kids in the North East so the coaches have gone above and beyond to recruit and retain their rugby players. They welcome young players with the first month being free, provide an opportunity to borrow and swap kit and make a true effort to instil a true sense of belonging alongside the club’s RISE values of Respect, Inspire, Strength and Enjoyment– not just to the player, but their families too.
The Inspiring Story of Mini & Micro Rugby Coaches
Will Hazell, VP of Mini & Micro Rugby, said “Our coaches are a great bunch of people, some just started by helping out on a Saturday because their kid plays and they have learnt the game alongside them, others have played themselves and want to give back to rugby. However they all share the same enthusiasm and excitement about the club values and the enjoyment we want to bring to all our players sessions week in week out. It’s been a great honour to have been nominated by our community and to have been in a category alongside such wonderful nominees who are also doing great things was quite the privilege. To win, well that was just fantastic. It is such a great reward to be able to share with all the coaches, they all do such a fantastic job, especially just before we kick off for our new season.”
To experience the magic of the club for yourself, check out their website or Facebook page.
