The Saracens Foundation are taking over Sunday 24th April’s clash with Exeter Chiefs at StoneX Stadium, turning the game into a day of fundraising and showcasing the Saracens Foundation’s work!

All the money raised on the day will go towards keeping our projects running in North London and Hertfordshire, transforming lives through the power of sport.

There are loads of ways to get involved before the day, at the game and after the final whistle!

ENTER THE SWEEPSTAKE TODAY!

Enter the Saracens Foundation Sweepstake today to be in with a chance of winning Alex Lozowski’s match-worn, signed shirt and boots from the 21/22 season! Simply guess the final score and the time of the first try to win. The sweepstake will be live until Kick Off on Sunday so enter now to avoid disappointment!

T&Cs apply.

CHEERS FOR CHARITY!

Add one for the Foundation when you’re ordering your round at the Olympic Bar and donate the price of a pint to the charity.

LOVE TO DANCE PERFORMANCE

Keep your eyes on the pitch for a half time performance from our over-50s Love to Dance Participants!
Find out more about Love to Dance here

SHIRT AUCTION

After the game, you will have the opportunity to own a piece of Saracens history! The Saracens Foundation will be running an auction for your chance to have a match worn, signed shirt from your favourite player from the 2021/22 season!

Make your bids here!

The Foundation runs over 30 projects a week in North London and Hertfordshire which engage with the most socially isolated groups in society, using sport as a tool for positive change. We work to improve the health, wellbeing, education and employability of our participants by delivering bespoke projects designed to tackle the specific needs of the community. Fundraising events like our Foundation Take Over days are key to keeping our work up and running in North London and Hertfordshire.

To donate click here or to come and see our work in action, please email foundationinfo@saracens.net

Saracens Cheer and Dance is a project within the Saracens Foundation’s dance area, offering alternative sport and exercise to children aged 6+ in North London and Hertfordshire, improving their health, wellbeing as well as giving them an opportunity to develop social and communication skills.

After being contacted by Dr. Dickson informing them of a young asylum seeker suffering with her mental and physical health due to inactivity, Saracens Foundation offered Rounia an NHS scholarship on their Cheerleading project for a term. Her mother told us, “we were looking for a place that Rounia could go to for exercise, but because we’re asylum seekers we do not have enough money.”

Asylum seekers are people who have arrived in a country and asked for help due to unliveable conditions, however until they’ve received a decision as to whether they are a ‘refugee’ they aren’t allowed work or claim benefits. If they apply for support, they may receive financial help of around £5.66 per day.

Lauren Dickson from the NHS contacted us in June 2021 telling us, “I have a patient who has a daughter who is 7 years and is struggling with her Mental Health. They we’re recently referred to me as were interested in Physical Exercise. However, her mother cannot afford activities due to not having access to public resources. Her daughter used to participate in gymnastic lessons, however, her school do not offer any afterschool clubs.”

Rounia told her GP she had a passion for dance and gymnastics and so offering her an NHS scholarship at Saracens Cheerleading for a term was a perfect opportunity for her. The Head Coach for Saracens Cheer and Dance at StoneX Stadium said “When Rounia joined Cheerleading in September she was passionate and energetic throughout the sessions despite them being physically demanding for a prolonged period. When Rounia left us in December she had improved so rapidly that her team won second place prize in their Saracens Cheer and Dance Competition!”

We spoke to Rounia’s parents to find out how our sessions impacted her. She told us, “When we came to England, we were very worried about Rounia. With the support of the Saracens Foundation my daughter was able to come to cheerleading which made her happy. My daughter’s mood improved and we really thank you for that.”

Rounia’s rapid improvement in her physical and mental health was apparent to us all and is testament to how important exercise and movement is for young people. After the pandemic young people are more likely to suffer physically and mentally due to inactivity when compared to previous years. Saracens Foundation are working hard to encourage young people to partake in any form of physical exercise with the primary aim of improving physical and mental health in the community.

Having recently been recognised as an Olympic sport cheerleading is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. It joins dance, gymnastics, and stunts together to create an athletic sport that is creative and unique. Cheerleading requires athletes of all back grounds and all sizes which makes it arguably one of the most if not, the most inclusive sport. Saracens Cheerleaders and Dancers are given several performance opportunities yearly including performing on Match Days and other events.

 Saracens Foundation run Cheer and Dance classes across Hertfordshire and North London for young aspiring athletes 6+. Please contact SapphireFinlayter-Gaskell@saracens.net for further information or visit bookwhen.com/saracenscheeranddance to sign your child up today.

Yesterday, Saracens published an EY report which, for the very first time, enabled the Club to articulate the value of the considerable economic and social impact that Saracens and its group of associated organisations has within its community.

Peter Arnold, Chief Economist and Partner, EY, said: “Saracens can be justifiably proud of its impressive contribution to local economic and social activity. The findings demonstrate the value of Saracens to the local economy, community and the wider-ranging impacts of the Club”

The report, commissioned by the Saracens Group, found that in the year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, close to £1m was invested by the Saracens Foundation in health and wellbeing, education and community initiatives, engaging over 12,600 diverse participants, delivering over 16,600 hours of community programming; this activity generated a social value of £5.9m – creating a Social Return on Investment of £6.60 for every £1 invested. By comparison, the average SROI across sport as a whole is estimated at just £3.28.

The contribution to the local economy was also significant. There were over 216,000 total visits to StoneX Stadium during the year, with visits by supporters to Saracens Men’s match days adding £5.4m to tourist spending in the Barnet and Greater London economy. Overall, Saracens’ economic activity contributed a total of £37m in Gross Value Added (GVA) and created close to 700 jobs.

In the broader wide-ranging impacts of the club, the report also noted the ‘Saracens High School’ and how the club was the first professional sports team in the world to open a mainstream secondary state school. A Saracens Primary School is on the way.

Neil Golding, Chairman, Saracens, said: “The publishing of this report comes at a very exciting time for the Saracens Group. A new consortium of investors is committed to build on the Saracens legacy that has been created by Nigel Wray. Much of the tremendous work and achievements shared within this report can be linked back to Nigel’s personal determination that Saracens would become ‘more than just a rugby club’.”

Cath Shaw, Deputy Chief Executive, London Borough of Barnet, also said: “It comes as no surprise to the council that Saracens’ impact in Barnet goes far beyond the stadium itself, and it was in recognition of this that the Council was delighted to award the Club the Freedom of Borough in 2018. The Saracens High School is just one example of this commitment. Along with the jobs Saracens bring to the borough and the work of the Saracens Foundation, this makes Saracens so much more than a sporting partner, as evidenced by this report.”

Lucy Wray, Chief Executive, Saracens, added: “We are extremely proud of the results of the EY study and the independent evidence it provides of the positive contribution that the Saracens Group makes within our community. The report provides us with a base line from which to build, and we are now focused on working with our partners and all our stakeholders in order to further increase our social and economic impact and improve our environmental sustainability. I would like to thank our partners, staff, players, coaches, supporters and everyone in the Saracens family for making all of this possible.”

Click here to view the detailed report.

Key findings of the Saracens Social & Economic Impact Study included:

Saracens Foundation activity generated a social value of £5.9 million, engaged over 12,600 diverse participants, provided over 16,600 programme delivery hours, with a Social Return on Investment (SROI) of £6.60 for every £1 invested. The average SROI across sport activity in general is estimated at £3.28.

Saracens’ economic activity contributed £37 million in Gross Value Added and created close to 700 jobs.

There were over 216,000 total visitors to StoneX Stadium, with visitors to Saracens Men’s match days contributing £5.4m to the local tourist economy.

• The Saracens Social and Economic Impact Study focuses on the 2018/19 season, this being the most recent representative full year of operations for Saracens, owing to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Social Return on Investment (SROI) reflects the total value of benefits per £1 invested. Any figure over £1 suggests that the social value generated from initiatives exceed the total cost of delivering the initiatives.

#endthestigmaPERIOD Campaign

The launch of the #endthestigmaPERIOD campaign, hopes to raise awareness and educate people on the impact of the menstrual cycle for women and girls within sport.

From the Saracens Foundation’s ‘Empower Her Project’ a future female in leadership programme in partnership with Shawbrook Bank, participants highlighted the need to address the stigma associated with the menstrual cycle within sport and the and lack of education on the topic.

In a survey completed by Saracens Foundation (2022) nearly 60% of women said they had experienced ‘period leakage’ whilst playing sport, with 78% reporting they had no access to sanitary products in their first aid bags.

‘‘Embarrassed, disgusted, ashamed – these were just a few of the words women and girls used to describe the feelings they had around period leakage whilst playing sport. The #endthestigmaPERIOD campaign provides a platform to proactively address the underlying stigma associated to the menstrual cycle and create really positive change within the sports community.’
– Charlie White – Development Manager – Saracens Foundation

The #endthestigmaPERIOD campaign identifies 3 clear actions all sports clubs can take to support women and girls:

• Add sanitary products to first aid bags.
• Provide sanitary bins in changing room toilets.
• Educate yourself and others on the impact of the menstruation cycle for women in sport.

Becca Shawyer, Marketing Events & Sponsorship Manager at Shawbrook Bank, said:

“When we partnered with the Saracens Foundation to launch Empower Her last year, we set out to make a real difference together, so it’s rewarding to see that a conversation sparked via Empower Her has led to the launch of the #endthestigmaPERIOD campaign. 

This important campaign will not only help raise awareness and educate people on the impact the menstrual cycle can have on women and girls within sport, but also highlights 3 practical steps sports clubs can take to support women and girls in relation to the menstrual cycle and the related challenges they face.

 We couldn’t be prouder to support this campaign which will help break down barriers for women accessing sport.”

Mackenzie Carson, Saracens Women’s Rugby Player and Foundation Project Officer for Project Rugby programme will be leading on a series of educational workshops to support coaches, management and players understand the barriers and challenges women and girls face within sport. The first workshop will focus on the impact of the menstrual cycle for females within sport.

‘Opening the conversation around the menstrual cycle and ending the stigma allows us to understand the impact it has on women in sport on a deeper level. Not only is the menstrual cycle a barrier for women accessing sport but it also impacts physical and psychological performance. Educating ourselves and those around us on this topic is crucial to improving the lives of women both in and out of sport and is an issue that has to be addressed by men and women alike’
– Mackenzie Carson – Project Rugby Project Officer – Saracens Foundation

Workshop 1 – #endthestigmaPERIOD
Webinar addressing the impact of the menstrual cycle for women and girls in sport.
Monday 4^th April 2022 – 7pm to 8pm
Click link to register: https://event.webinarjam.com/register/238/gq2q4um3
Cost: FREE

During the first 5 weeks of the year, over 75 members of the Saracens Senior, Academy, and coaching team participated in our Monday night Disability sessions getting stuck in with our projects. It was fantastic to see them immersing themselves in our projects and gaining a better understanding of the impact the Foundation’s 32 projects are having within our local community.

Our projects aim to improve health, education and employability for beneficiaries across Hertfordshire and North London. The Monday night sessions offered Saracens players and coaching team the opportunity to participate in three of these projects: Sarries RFC, Sarrie’s Skills Club, and Strictly Sarrie.

Sarries RFC is our disability rugby club for young people aged 16 to 24. The programme aims to use rugby as a tool for change by providing our participants with the opportunity to exercise regularly and develop their social skills. During the Monday night visits, players and coaching staff had a run around with our participants and shared their skills and knowledge whilst getting involved with rugby drills and games alongside the Foundation’s coaches.

Sarrie’s Skills Club provides young people with severe autism the opportunity to practice fundamental movement skills, with the aim of improving their physical capabilities and basic life skills. Each participant has at least 1:1 support from our specialist staff and volunteers, who guide them through a range of multi-skill sports like Boccia and Indoor Curling. Over the 5-week period, players and coaching staff participated in games run by Foundation staff and volunteers – the parachute game was a crowd favourite!

Strictly Sarrie is our disability dance project that aims to improve the physical and mental health of young people. Participants learn basic dance techniques and routines in an engaging, interactive and inclusive environment and have had the opportunity to showcase their work by performing at venues such as Wembley and StoneX stadium. It was great to see players and training ground staff jump straight into the action and show off their best moves.

Head to our social media channels to see photos and videos from the sessions and hear from players, volunteers, and our CEO Lucy Wray!

We are always looking for more volunteers – if you would like to get involved as a volunteer or come and see our work in action, please email foundationinfo@saracens.net.