Meldrum Foundation (charity arm of Meldrum Group) have donated £1,750 to Yarm Rugby Club after their public request for help to raise funds, following a break-in.

With so many people depending on the charity, Meldrum Foundation found it was imperative that help was offered.

Yarm Rugby Club has 8 youth teams, a women’s team and several men’s teams – with a support network through this for mental health challenges as well as supporting other local charities.

The Club try and put the community at the heart of everything they do. By running the Yarm Bonfire Night display, installing the Christmas Trees in Yarm High Street, supporting Little Sprouts (food charity) and Rispin 2 Blues (Rugby Charity).

Also providing free services for those who can’t afford a membership fee and free boots/ kit again for those who otherwise couldn’t take part.

The charity have been planning to upgrade facilities for a while now but the break in meant all of the funds budgeted for these were gone.

Dave Jones, Chairman of Yarm RUFC said: “We have reached the maximum that we can deliver even with hired facilities… The girl’s section is particularly close to our hearts as currently rugby is mixed age to under12, but at that stage it splits to single gender, and we don’t have the changing rooms, toilets or available pitches to deliver girls rugby.”

The donation will be used to give the space the long-awaited and well-deserved upgrade. Including toilets, a kitchen and additional parking needed for the site to be used. This will in turn allow more capacity for the club to support people in the local community through sport.

Meldrum Group HR & Marketing Director/Meldrum Foundation Chair, Cheryl James said:

“The ethos of the Foundation is to help transform the lives of those most disadvantaged by providing new experiences or by improving the environment in which they live. Now more than ever, charities need our support and we’re proud to have been able to offer it.

The club is a fantastic example of why local community “togetherness” is so important and is part of the reason why, as a charity we will continue to support local causes”.