Northern Powergrid funding is set to help a new apprentice ‘try’ a new career with Hunslet Rugby Foundation in Leeds and help spread vital messages about safety and electricity to local school children.
The company, which is responsible for the network that delivers electricity to the doors of 3.9 million homes across the region, has signed an important sponsorship deal with Hunslet Rugby Foundation to help fund an apprentice development officer position for 12 months with the Foundation.
This role will see an apprentice complete an Intermediate Apprenticeship Activity Leadership course, leading to a recognised level 2 National Vocational Qualification.
The apprentice will deliver multi-skills activities in South Leeds primary schools under the supervision of Hunslet Rugby Foundation’s community development officer, Darrell Robinson. In addition to messages around health, nutrition and exercise, they will deliver vital Northern Powergrid safety message about electricity and help children understand the dangers of climbing pylons and playing near overhead power lines or substations.
Hunslet Rugby Foundation Manager, Martin Flynn, commented: “This is a fantastic initiative and helps the Foundations in a number of ways. It provides an exciting apprenticeship for a young person, whilst at the same time educating children about the dangers of electricity. It also showcases what the Foundation has to offer other potential sponsors. We are extremely grateful to Northern Powergrid for its support.”
Geoff Earl, Northern Powergrid’s Director of Safety, Health and Environment, said: “The Hunslet Rugby Foundation is at the heart of the community and we’re proud to be supporting a young person on their path to a promising career as part of its team.
“This apprenticeship is an excellent way of ensuring we continue our work to raise local children’s awareness of the hazards associated with playing near our network, how to identify our infrastructure and what to do in an emergency.”
The apprentice development officer will complement the successful work carried out by Northern Powergrid’s school safety presenters who deliver a programme of free, engaging workshops and events to more than 30,000 young people across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire every year.
Hunslet Rugby Foundation contact: Martin Flynn 0113 271 2730
Northern Powergrid media contacts: Joanne Kerrigan or Dawn Parlett on 0845 402 0692
• The Hunslet Rugby Foundation works with local schools, clubs and organisations to get more local people from the South Leeds area to engage in the sport of Rugby League whilst raising the profile of the Hunslet Hawks club and sport in general.
• Northern Powergrid is the electricity distribution business for North East England, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire and delivers power to 3.9 million homes and businesses. Its network consists of more than 61,000 substations, 29,000 kilometres of overhead line and 62,000 kilometres of underground cable, covering an area of more than 25,000 square kilometres.
