Money seized from criminals is helping to develop the next batch of young rugby union stars in North Wales.
Summer training camps run by Caernarfon Rugby Club for youngsters across the region have been supported financially by the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).
More than 300 players aged between five and 16 years have attended the sessions at the clubs Morfa ground, honing their rugby skills and enjoying refreshments supplied by PACT while the town’s Tesco store chipped in with water, crisps and fruit.
Police officers visited regularly and the youngsters were able to clamber into their vehicles, switch on the flashing blue lights and siren or don police helmets and hats.
And during the week they were treated to a special day with the former Wales, Lions and Llanelli Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies.
According to PCSO Eurwen Williams, based at Caernarfon, who helped apply for the PACT funding, anti-social behaviour associated with young people of school age has traditionally increased over the summer holidays.
She said: “North Wales Police play a proactive role in combating this anti-social behaviour for the benefit of all members of our communities.
“The Welsh Rugby Union organise the summer camp at Caernarfon Rugby Club which attracts hundreds of youngsters over a four-day period.
“The event presents a fantastic opportunity for North Wales Police to interact with the children/youths from the Caernarfon area and build trust and confidence by galvanising better relationships with them.”
Eurwen, one of the founder members of the Caernarfon women’s Rugby Team, organised the police involvement in the summer camp
She added: “It is important to start engaging with children from a very young age. They then see me on the street in my uniform and they’ll says ‘oh she plays rugby too’ so the association is that the police are not bad.
“It has been great this week, really rewarding going home every day having seen the children smiling from ear to ear. The parents love to see their smiling faces too.”
The sessions centred on the club’s new all-weather pitch which was installed two years ago as part of an initiative by the Welsh Rugby Union to improve playing facilities in the region.
Among those who popped in to see the youngsters being put through their paces was North Wales Police Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman.
She said: “This is a really fantastic set-up with a new pitch, enclosed and really safe. Parents can be reassured their children are being looked after and involved in something that is around fitness, healthy and working in a team.
“Our partnership is really important because it is the start of a relationship with young people to think about team works and to think about being part of the community.
“The decisions and choices young people make now and the friendship groups they have really affect them later in life and that’s where we see anti-social behaviour and people getting introduced into vaping, smoking, alcohol and drugs so making the right choices now and wanting to follow the role models they have in the rugby world is really the right thing to do,” she said.
Since 1998 PACT has supported more than 3,500 projects across the region – appropriately, with much of the funding using money confiscated from criminals and recycled for the public good.
PACT works closely with North Wales Police’s neighbourhood policing teams, particularly the network of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).
PACT chairman Ashley Rogers said: “Physical activity, team sport, mixing with your friends all in a safe environment is very important for our youngsters and this really is a very positive, structured way to have that kind of experience.
“Keeping youngsters occupied and giving them something proactive and fulfilling to do is really, really valuable and during the school holidays it’s obviously more important than ever and engaging the neighbourhood policing team with the community and the youngsters is absolutely fantastic.”
Former Caernarfon Rugby Club first team coach Ieuan Jones said some of the youngsters attending the camp were already members of the club but many had not played rugby before.
He said: “Most of the youngsters are from the Caernarfon area but some are from farther afield. We’ve had youngsters from Anglesey, Denbigh and Dolgellau here this week. Some are friends but many may not have known each other before coming here and it’s good to mix and get to know new people.
“The emphasis is on having fun and in addition to the rugby they’ve been playing a bit of football as well. Hopefully those who have not played before will come back in the autumn and continue playing with the club or go to other clubs.”
Gwilym Owen, seven, and his twin brother Twm, travelled from Llanbedrgoch near Menai Bridge, Anglesey to take part in the camp.
Taking a breather while a coach set out cones for another drill, he said: “I’ve been playing rugby for a while and come here regularly. I like passing the ball and tackling.”
Another youngster, Ceian Childs, eight, from Felinheli, added: “I like playing rugby. The tackling and passing is good but I like scoring even more.”
Owain Ynyr Thomas, one of the youth team players drafted in by the club to help during the camp.
The 17-year-old from Caernarfon said he had been coaching the younger players for about a year.
“It’s great to see the youngsters develop their game and improve week on week. It’s something I really enjoy,” he said.
