Tackling poverty
26th September 2017

SLIDERS UK has continued its support for a programme to bring rugby to some of India’s most deprived areas.

The Delhi Hurricanes School Rugby Development Programme is built on a model first pioneered in the UK by the Atlas Foundationto promote discipline and team working through the sport and has been shown to increase academic achievement in areas of social and economic deprivation here by 12 per cent.

Sliders UK has continued its support for the programme this year through the sponsorship of the 2017 Tour and Festival of Rugby.

Alex Murphy, Sliders UK’s Managing Director and former London Irish loose-head prop who coaches as part of the scheme explained: “The Delhi Hurricanes School Rugby Development Programme gives children from some of the most deprived neighbourhoods of Delhi, Chennai and Calcutta the opportunity to take part in organised team sport often for the very first time.

“In leaving that poverty behind them, even for just a few days, and focusing on a team sport, you see these kids grow in confidence, understand that they can achieve and that through longer term mentoring, translates into a better performance in their school work.”

Murphy first formed links with the Delhi Hurricanes during his time as Business Head of Fenesta Building Systems.

India’s largest PVC-U window manufacturer the company is part of the chemicals giant, DCM Shriram.

Sliders UK’s continuing sponsorship of the scheme helps to finance three full-time coaching posts in Delhi, funded by the Atlas Foundation.

www.theatlasfoundation.org.uk
www.sliders-uk.com