MBNA

Premiership Rugby and MBNA’s ground-breaking Tackling Numbers programme has been named the Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programme at a national awards ceremony.

The winner was announced last night at the Card & Payment Awards held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, and acclaimed by former England captain Steve Borthwick.

Tackling Numbers is an interactive numeracy programme for young children, developed and delivered by Premiership Rugby in partnership with MBNA. The five week programme aims to teach 8-9 year olds the importance of number skills in everyday life.

The rugby-themed programme is delivered in schools by representatives from all 12 Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs, through both classroom sessions and practical number-based rugby games.

This innovative and engaging programme makes learning about numbers fun, exciting and rewarding. It also inspires children to both improve their numeracy skills and their physical health.

Current Saracens captain Borthwick said: “I was privileged to help launch the Tackling Numbers programme in 2010 and I am delighted to see that it has now received national recognition. I am delighted for everyone who has been involved in the programme. They should all be very proud.”

In the 2010-11 academic year the programme reached 8,400 children in 280 schools within 14 regions across England. The schools also received a lasting legacy of equipment including a Teacher Resource pack containing all the programme content, access to an online information resource, and tag rugby equipment so that the school can continue to play.

Wayne Morris, Head of Community at Premiership Rugby, said: "We’re delighted that Tackling Numbers has won this prestigious award. Rugby has long been seen as a social game that unites and brings people from all over the world together. In more recent years rugby's ability to engage with children is being used to transcend into the classroom.

“The Tackling Numbers Programme in partnership with MBNA utilises the power of rugby to promote the understanding and learning of numeracy in a fun and enjoyable way. The classroom sessions are supported by practical PE sessions that unite an active mind with an active body."

Ian O’Doherty, Europe Card Executive for Bank of America, which operates the MBNA brand in the UK, said:  “We have been delighted with the success of the Tackling Numbers programme and with the positive feedback it has received. The power of sport, combined with creative social and community programmes, can deliver fantastic results and give children memorable experiences to last them a lifetime.

“We believe it is important to equip young people with the knowledge and tools to help them manage their money in the future. Engaging them in mathematics in a practical and enjoyable way, with some of the stars of English rugby, allows us to provide a foundation for good financial literacy in adulthood.”

With 2011 set to come to a close today, so the Exeter Chiefs Community department have wrapped up another hugely successful year of the MBNA Tackling Numbers programme at schools across the region.

Having kicked-off the programme at Kings Ash, Torre, Hayes, Ashburton, Warberry, Babbacombe and Priory Primary Schools, coaches Marc Dibble and Lewis Webb have been hard at work delivering the MBNA scheme to a further 13 schools in the past two months.

The latest to benefit from the programme, which aims to teach 8-9 year olds the importance of number skills in everyday life, as well as giving them an introduction into Tag Rugby, were

Abbotskerswell, Bearnes, Bovey Tracey, Broadhempston, Chudleigh, Denbury, Hennock, Kenton, North Tawton, St Catherine’s,  St Michael’s, Stoke-in-Teignhead and Upton St James.

The rugby-themed programme is delivered by representatives from all 12 Premiership clubs, through both classroom sessions and practical number-based rugby games.  The innovative and engaging programme makes learning about numbers fun, exciting and rewarding, whilst at the same time inspiring youngsters to improve their numeracy skills and their physical health.

Despite all the classroom-based side of the programme being completed, the club still have the MBNA Tag Festival to forward to in 2012. The two finalists from that event will then play in a curtain-raiser ahead of the Aviva Premiership game between the Chiefs and London Irish on March 31.

Community coach Marc Dibble said: "I would like to thank the children, teachers and also the parents at the all the schools for their contribution in what has been a very satisfying and successful year again for the MBNA programme."

Torbay schools benefit from MBNA Tackling Numbers Programme

Seven schools in the Torbay area have been the first to benefit from the 2011/12 MBNA Tackling Numbers programme, which has been delivered by the Exeter Chiefs Community department.

The Primary Schools taking part were Kings Ash, Torre, Hayes, Ashburton, Warberry, Babbacombe and Priory.

Now into it's second year with the Chiefs, it proved yet another successful term with over 175 children participating in the programme, which aims to teach 8-9 year olds the importance of number skills in everyday life.

The rugby-themed programme is delivered by representatives from all 12 Premiership clubs, through both classroom sessions and practical number-based rugby games.  The innovative and engaging programme makes learning about numbers fun, exciting and rewarding, whilst at the same time inspiring youngsters to improve their numeracy skills and their physical health.

It was not just the children getting involed in the programme, some 50 parents also attended the parental involvement week which took place on the sixth and final week.

Community coach Marc Dibble, who helps deliver the MBNA scheme, said: "I would like to thank the children, teachers and also the parents at the all the schools for their contribution in what has been a very satisfying and successful first team."

Marc and fellow coach Lewis Webb are set to visit 14 more schools during the course of the current season.

Learn more about MBNA Tackling Numbers Programme

Tackling Numbers is an interactive numeracy programme for young children, developed and delivered by Premiership Rugby in partnership with MBNA.  This five week programme aims to teach 8-9 year olds the importance of number skills in everyday life.

The rugby-themed programme will be delivered in schools by representatives from all 12 Premiership clubs, through both classroom sessions and practical number-based rugby games.  This innovative and engaging programme will make learning about numbers fun, exciting and rewarding.  It will inspire children to both improve their numeracy skills and their physical health.

Now into it's second year here at the Chiefs, last season our Community Department helped to deliver the Tackling Numbers programme to 20 local schools, reaching over 600 youngsters and a further 230 parents during the course of the school year.

Wayne Morris, Community Manager at Premiership Rugby said: “Rugby has long been seen as a social game that unites and brings people together.  In more recent years rugby’s ability to engage with children is being used to transcend into the classroom.

The MBNA Tackling Numbers Programme utilises the power of rugby to promote the understanding and learning of numeracy in a fun and enjoyable way.  The classroom sessions are supported by practical PE sessions that unite an active mind with an active body.”

John Greaves, Communications executive for MBNA said “Tackling Numbers takes the very successful partnerships we have with UK rugby to another level.  Together, MBNA and Premiership Rugby have created a project that will help improve the numeracy skills of thousands of schoolchildren in England. 

“We must equip young people with the knowledge and tools to help them manage their money in the future – and how better to do that than to engage them in mathematics in a practical and enjoyable way, with some of the starts of English rugby.  We hope this programme provides the foundation for good financial literacy in adulthood and a memorable experience which will last them a lifetime.”

The programme proved hugely popular throughout the region and already plans for the 2011/12 season are at an advanced stage. Led by Community coach Marc Dibble, the Chiefs team will again head into at least 20 schools locally, the first seven of which will be:

• Ashburton
• Babbacombe
• Hayes
• Kings Ash
• Priory
• Torre
• Warberry

These seven schools, along with those that the club visit throughout the course of the school year will each get the chance to participate in our MBNA Tackling Numbers Festival, where upon the winners get the chance to attend Premiership Finals Day at Twickenham and showcase their rugby skills to the thousands in attendance.

Last year youngsters from South Tawton were the lucky ones who advanced through from our festival and got the chance to watch Saracens beat Leicester Tigers in a thrilling end of season encounter at the home of English rugby.

For further details on the MBNA Tackling Numbers Programme, simply click here

The victorious South Tawton youngsters