Jones Homes sponsors Swale Women’s Charity Rugby Day

Players and spectators at a women’s charity rugby match on the Isle of Sheppey were kept refuelled thanks to a Kent housebuilder.

Jones Homes Southern donated £800 towards the running of the Swale Women’s Charity Rugby Day which took place at Sheppey RFC’s ground in Minster on Sea on Saturday 19 April.

The family fun day was jointly organised by the club and the Mayor of Swale, Councillor Ben Martin, to promote women’s and girls’ rugby and to raise money for the mayor’s nominated charities – local domestic abuse charity SATEDA and Lupus UK.

The donation from Jones Homes, which is building homes at Shurland Park in Minster, was used to provide each of the players with supplies of energy drinks, water, fruit, sweets and chocolate to keep them going during and after the match – as well as a range of food for spectators to enjoy.

A Swale combination team made up from the Sheppey, Faversham and Sittingbourne women’s teams took on an outfit starring players from Maidstone Women’s Rugby Club and Aylesford Bulls Ladies, with the Maidstone and Aylesford side coming out on top by 42 points to 35.

Aside from the rugby, there were a variety of other attractions, including arts and crafts stalls, an ice cream van, a bouncy castle, a rugby ball rodeo, a Tackle O’Meter and later in the day, a silent auction, a raffle and a DJ.

Amy Simmance, club secretary at Sheppey RFC, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to get this very generous donation from Jones Homes. It is great to know that such a prestigious company is backing what we do down here at Sheppey RFC.

“Here at the club we usually serve up burgers and hotdogs but £600 of the donation allowed our chef to get more adventurous with the cuisine and to buy chicken and beef  and whole host of sauces to offer delicious hot meat rolls and of course, a vegetarian option.

“We used the remainder of the money to treat all the players to a ‘goodie bag’ of drinks and sweets and even an Easter egg, as small thank you for taking part.

“The challenge match was the perfect showcase for everything that is good about women’s rugby, while the other attractions and activities proved a real hit with families. All in all, it was resounding success with the rugby family and the local community coming together to help the Mayor of Swale raise funds for his chosen charities.”

The event raised a total of £980 for SATEDA and Lupus UK. SATEDA is a domestic abuse charity supporting women and children across Swale, Maidstone and the wider Kent area. Lupus UK is the only national registered charity that supports sufferers of lupus, which is a chronic autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues, causing inflammation and damage.

Sara Stanhope, Sales and Marketing Director for Jones Homes Southern, said: “As a local housebuilder with a long-standing presence on the Isle of Sheppey, we were more than happy to support the rugby club in hosting this really special day to help promote women’s and girls’ rugby and raise money for good causes”.

To find out more about the new homes at Shurland Park, click here

“We’re pleased that our donation contributed to a successful event which brought the local community together in the name of fundraising and encouraging increased female participation in sport.”