Start date: May 2019
End date: April 2021
Funding: £5,897
Beneficiaries: Around 5,000 young people engaged annually
Connect is a high performance academy dedicated to nurturing disadvantaged young people in Cape Town, South Africa, from the grassroots through to professional rugby. They work holistically and individually with their athletes to give them the best possible chance of fulfilling their potential, on and off the sports field, by providing consistent access to quality resources and opportunities.
Rugby has also provided the opportunity for several of their children to begin scholarships at prestigious local schools.
While basic access to sport is an undeniable positive for children from backgrounds of poverty, it is their firm belief that it shouldn’t be the ceiling of ambition. Connects aim is to encourage not just rugby players but well-rounded, employable adults in the wider world.
Date: July 2016
Funding: £10,000
Beneficiaries: Young people and adults who have experienced life changing injuries and their families
The Atlas Foundation grant contributed to building the ‘Get Busy Living Centre’. The centre enables the Matt Hampson Foundation’s beneficiaries to receive rehabilitation through physiotherapy, and social interaction to share experiences, motivating and inspiring each other to move on with their lives.
Sharing knowledge and experiences is a powerful tool in the rehabilitation process following a life changing injury. For many, waking up and facing another day is a battle in itself. The centre’s aim is to create an environment to assist those facing new challenges in both theirs and their families lives.
Date: Sept 2018
Funding: £3,198
Beneficiaries: Endangered Wildlife
This pilot fund aimed to use rugby to turn poachers into players by instilling positive values in people, turning them away from illegal trapping into legitimate and positive sporting and conservation work, preserving the life of endangered wildlife in Southern Africa.
This programme was run by ex-rugby player Joe Pietersen who provided coaching, boots and kit for poachers in Southern Africa.
Start date: June 2018
End date: Nov 2021
Funding: £20,545
Beneficiaries: 2,368 children and young people, 50% female
The Lesotho Rugby Academy (LRA) programme is an introduction to rugby programme delivered to schools in Lesotho. It was designed by staff and coaches from the LRA and Federation of Lesotho Rugby. The programme is designed as ten coaching sessions lasting around two hours each, and beginning with a 30 minute discussion between the coach and the children around important health and lifestyle topics. These include the ‘three pillars’ (communication, commitment and respect), HIV awareness, healthy diets, smoking, alcohol and drugs and gender equality. In each session, coaches discuss the topic, the relevance to the kids’ lives and why it is important as a rugby player. Sessions are typically delivered to between 30 and 80 children, with an equal mix of boys and girls.
In all the schools that received the programme, an improvement in understanding of key concepts and messages around healthy and responsible lifestyles was measured by a survey of students’ attitudes and awareness.
The programme was delivered to vulnerable school communities across Lesotho including remote rural communities.
Date: June 2021
Funding: £500
Beneficiaries: 100 families
With the help of matched funding and food donations, the funding provided by The Atlas Foundation contributed to supplying 50 full Thanksgiving turkey dinners and 50 Thanksgiving dinners less the turkey, for families in need identified by LEAD Academy, a partner school to Inner City Ruby of Nashville (ICRN).
ICRN student rugby players co-ordinated the food drives, sorting the food into 100 baskets and delivering the meals to the families.
The funding was awarded as part of The Atlas Foundation’s COVID relief grant fund.
Start date: May 2017
End date: June 2022
Funding: £45,492
Beneficiaries: Around 300 children and young people annually, 50% female
Memphis is one of the poorest urban areas in the USA. Before the programme started, school dropout and crime rates were high, with children having few options for their future. The game of rugby was introduced, engaging the children in activities outside of the classroom. Through teamwork, integrity, respect and hard work, there has been a significant change in the children’s attitudes. Responding to the needs of their community, the programme now also offers educational support and mentoring, helping the children get through the toughest of times both on and off the field. Over 200 high schools have felt the impact of Memphis Inner City Rugby and the programme now boasts a 100% college acceptance rate, setting children up to thrive in the future.
One-off funding: 2018, 2021, 2025
Total Funding: £6,841
Beneficiaries: Girls and boys
The Atlas Foundation have made a number of small grants to Future Hope, a charity who provide opportunity through its homes, school, sports and medical programme for some of the most vulnerable children from the streets and slums of Kolkata, India. The funds have benefitted children in numerous ways; school shoes, costs to maintain an Isolation ward for COVID positive case of children, and unrestricted funding contributing to providing for all the children need, such as food, shelter and education.
Start date: Sept 2017
End date: July 2021
Funding: £42,371
Beneficiaries: 44,500 children and young people 6-18, 50% female
Rugby Israel’s coaches brought tag rugby to 40 schools across Israel to deliver the following programme:
1. Introducing Rugby: Every child received one group session with one of Rugby Israel’s coaches, extending to Israel Rugby’s coach being present in each school over a period of 2-3 months.
2. Equipment: Every school received a full rugby school kit, including practice gear, 3 rugby balls and 50 tag belts.
3. Qualification of PE Teachers: Once a year all PE teachers received a full day rugby lesson with her/his class.
4. Improvement: Twice a year one of Rugby Israel’s coaches joined all PE teachers to strengthen their rugby skills with the children.
5. Tournaments: Rugby Israel’s coaches operated full day in school tournaments by age grade, then further enhanced by regional and national tournaments.
In 2019 a special emphasis on bringing rugby and the values of rugby to minority groups within the Israeli Education system e.g. Christian and Muslim Arabs, Druze, Bedouins and religious Jewish school boys and girls, was put into place to bring closer Jewish and Arab children playing regional and national tag rugby tournaments together – in the true spirit of the game of rugby. Around 20% of the programme was directed at these minority groups.
Start date: July 2018
End date: Dec 2021
Funding: £60,126
Beneficiaries: 2,250 children and young people, 50% female
Following success in the local community in Virreyes, Argentina All Schools was set up as an Atlas project to deliver the same programme in two new areas of Buenos Aires – 3 clubs and 9 schools in Hurlingham, and 2 clubs and 6 schools in Morón – in suburbs on the western outskirts with a number of shanty towns, and issues of poor education and health, high crime and unemployment.
The All School Programme introduces rugby to children in order to:
• improve their behaviour and academic success at school
• reduce crime and anti-social behaviour out of school
• create access to jobs beyond school
Start date: June 2016
End date: Oct 2018
Funding: £8,800
Beneficiaries: 532 girls and boys 8-16
The Delhi Hurricanes school rugby development programme takes Rugby to the Government schools and schools for the disadvantaged to provide them an opportunity to engage in sport, key to all round development of the children.
The program partners with the Delhi Government who, allows them access their schools.
The focus of the program is all inclusive and opens the sport to all.
The Rugby training program was a success in the following areas :-
• Bringing Rugby sport to both Girls and Boys of different age groups in a number of Delhi Government schools.
• Imparting the importance of physical training and basic skills like ball handling, left/right balance, team play and discipline.
• Creating a spirit of School teams in matches and encouraging team work.
Start date: Oct 2017
End date: Dec 2026
Funding: £107,544
Beneficiaries: Around 525 children and young people U18 annually, 16% female
In the ‘Villas’ of Buenos Aires, life is a daily battle against poverty, hunger, and violence. For children growing up here, gang activity, limited education, and unemployment create a cycle of despair that can feel impossible to break. But at the heart of these shantytowns stands Virreyes Rugby Club, a safe haven that offers young people and their families the chance to dream of a better future.
Start date: Sept 2024
End date: N/A
Funding: £1,376
Beneficiaries: Children and young people, 50% female
The North Bank Foundation has been formed by a group of Sevenoaks RFC coaches as a way of giving back to the community. Whilst Sevenoaks is a relatively wealthy area in general, there are areas of notable poverty and lack of access to sport for some children. The North Bank Foundation aims to rebalance some of the inequity we see by helping to support programmes that seek to improve the mental health, physical well being and accessibility of sport to young people.
The fund was set up as a private fund within The Atlas Foundation to support this work. The funds have been used to support Education and life skills development and mental health resilience and nutrition through seminars for their beneficiaries.
Start date: Jan 2022
End date: N/A
Funding: £68,226
Beneficiaries: Around 300 children and young people 8-16, 50% female
The Matt Ratana Rugby Foundation (MRRF) schools programme started as Project Croydon in 2022. In 2024 Project Croydon became part of TackleLondon, where MRRF continue their schools delivery in Croydon and Bromley. The MRRF schools programme is currently delivered across Sussex and Yorkshire.
MRRF support and mentor young people from under-resourced communities in navigating life’s challenges, nurturing resilience and supporting good mental health through emotional awareness.
The MRRF schools programme is funded by MRRF through their restricted fund held by The Atlas Foundation.
Start date: Jan 2024
End date: N/A
Funding: £254,591
Beneficiaries: Around 4,500 children and young people U18, 48% female
TackleLondon connects young people in under-resourced London boroughs with their communities and improves their mental wellbeing, providing access to opportunity through sports mentoring, friendship and personal development, delivered through structured, trusted relationships with coaches.
Start date: Dec 2019
End date: Dec 2027
Funding: £127,848
Beneficiaries: Around 800 children and young people U18 annually, 63% female
The Kampuchea Balopp Initiative uses sport as a vehicle for social inclusion and education. The initiative supports underprivileged and/or disabled children as well as promoting emphasis on gender equality by providing access to sport for girls, which was traditionally discouraged. Young people are enabled to escape their difficult daily lives and equipped with essential human qualities and skills to contribute to their development.
Start date: Feb 2025
End date: Feb 2027
Funding: US$31,519
Beneficiaries: Around 480 children and young people U18 annually, 50% female
In the heart of Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia, a groundbreaking initiative is transforming education for local children. A classroom has been converted into an interactive Language Learning Lab, designed to provide young learners with the tools they need to build essential language skills and expand their opportunities for the future.
Start date: Apr 2018
End date: Dec 2026
Funding: £93,251
Beneficiaries: Around 18,700 young people aged 12+ annually, 38% female
Using rugby as a vehicle for engagement, SKRUM create safe and fun environments to educate children on HIV/AIDS and its cultural causes in Eswatini, the worst affected country in the world. It tackles gender and healthcare inequalities and taboos to empower the children and create a healthier future.
Start date: Nov 2016
End date: Mar 2029
Funding: £204,624
Beneficiaries: Around 3,000 children and young people U18 annually, 40% female
In some of the most deprived communities and slums, education was seen as an unaffordable luxury. Our partners at Khelo Rugby are changing that, utilising rugby to teach crucial life skills, provide sessions and empower the children to seek out opportunities and enrol in higher education.
Start date: Sept 2022
End date: Jun 2026
Funding: £104,508
Beneficiaries: Around 150 children aged 10-12 annually, 50% female, 50:50 Jewish:Arab
In Haifa, a city of cultural diversity, sport is proving to be a powerful tool for unity. Our Tag Rugby for Coexistence Programme brings together Jewish and Arab children, fostering friendships, teamwork, and mutual respect through the game of rugby. The initiative addresses key challenges, ensuring deep and lasting impact. By engaging pupils at a young age and promoting structured collaboration between schools, we are breaking down social barriers and creating a generation that values coexistence.
Start date: Apr 2018
End date: Dec 2028
Funding: £105,546
Beneficiaries: Around 300 children and young people U18 annually, 42% female
Children from Kibera, the largest urban slum in Africa, receive access to rugby, nutrition and learning opportunities. With no running water, little electricity and open sewers running throughout the community, Kibera can be a tough place to grow up.
Start date: Jan 2026
End date: N/A
Funding: £146,314
Beneficiaries: Est. 1,640 children and young people U18 annually, 50% female
Designed as a mobile digital learning and innovation lab, the Atlas Digi-AI Bus delivers essential digital skills directly to schools and underserved communities across Nairobi. The initiative is led by our local partner, Kings Rugby Development Academy (KRDA), with the support of The Atlas Foundation.
Start date: Jan 2025
End date: Dec 2027
Funding: £38,912
Beneficiaries: Around 2,200 children and young people U18 annually, 50% female
Sport programmes delivered through school environments enable community coaches to connect with children trapped in extreme poverty. Talented and hard-working children are encouraged to join the outside school LSO Pathways Development Programme. They receive coaching, healthy meals, clean water, school support and a chance to achieve scholarships to schools their parents could never afford.
Start date: Nov 2016
End date: Dec 2027
Funding: £108,932
Beneficiaries: Around 3,000 children and young people U18 annually, 48% female
Bhubesi Pride Foundation (BPF) works with disadvantaged children in rural Lilongwe, Malawi to give children a chance to overcome the severe challenges they face and uplift themselves and their community. At their sports and community centre, BPF promotes their PRIDE values of Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, and Enjoyment to the children, empowering them to work hard to rise to the economic, social, and health challenges that are sadly a part of daily life for children in Malawi.
Start date: Jan 2021
End date: Dec 2026
Funding: £107,599
Beneficiaries: Around 66,500 children and young people annually, 65% female
Gauteng Women’s Rugby Institute provide safe accommodation, food and hygiene products for young female rugby players escaping from gender based violence and disadvantage. The young women here are given the chance to study and train, developing their opportunities to reach their potential and prepare for a career whilst also providing sports coaching and mentorship to young girls and boys in local schools.
Start date: Oct 2024
End date: Jul 2027
Funding: £16,439
Beneficiaries: Around 80 children and young people U18 annually, 48% female
Lanna Rugby Club works with disadvantaged young people who are mostly children of migrant workers and offers care and education to disadvantaged children and youth in marginalised groups facing socio-economic difficulties in the north of Thailand.
Start date: Aug 2025
End date: Aug 2026
Funding: ZAR 200,000
Beneficiaries: Around 50 deaf children and young people U18 annually, 50% female
In partnership with the Dominican Deaf School and Villager RFC, The Atlas Foundation South Africa is using the transformative power of rugby to empower young deaf boys and girls, helping them build confidence, skills, and friendships that transcend barriers.
Start date: June 2017
End date: N/A
Funding: £25,458
Beneficiaries: Around 190 children and young people annually
Funded through The Atlas Foundation, originally by members of Richmond RFC and from October 2019 onwards this was taken on by the Silver Hippos fund. A regular monthly donation is sent to supply nutritious food after training for disadvantaged youth who attend Masiphumelele RFC in order to attract more kids away from dangers of the streets and to the safe space and community of their local rugby club.
In 2018 The Atlas Foundation also funded boots for the young players at the club.
Start date: Jan 2022
End date: N/A
Funding: £179,919
Beneficiaries: Around 1,300 children and young people U16 annually, 47% female
The Atlas Digibus is a game changer for the children in Langa, Cape Town. Providing over 1300 students with vital education in maths, English, STEM, and digital literacy skills. The Atlas Digibus helps the children overcome the challenges present in an under-resourced education system, significantly improving assessment results, reducing dropout rates, and giving teachers new and engaging ways to teach.
Start date: May 2019
End date: Dec 2027
Funding: £133,352
Beneficiaries: Around 1,600 young people aged 11-18 annually, 31% female
We are using rugby to tackle the problems in the neighbouring communities of Ocean View and Masiphumlelele High Schools. Through the Atlas rugby programme, children are provided with mentors and sessions on key issues of health, drugs, and crime, which plague their communities and often destroy any hope for a better future.
Start Date: April 2019
End Date: Dec 2026
Funding: GBP 42,150
Beneficiaries: Around 1,500 children and young people 8+ annually, 38% female
Funded through The Atlas Foundation by the Ed Cooper Memorial fund, this programme’s mission is to use rugby as a vehicle for young people in Tanzania to develop themselves and others through the values of Teamwork, Respect and Discipline (TRD). The TRD model is tailored to the needs of young people as they grow older. The three programs build on one another to equip young people with the core values, attitudes and skills that they will need to succeed in their lives:
• ‘Preparedness’ Program – Build safe spaces for girls and boys between the ages of 8 and 16 to grow and develop into well rounded young adults. This program combines basic rugby coaching, social support and life skills
• ‘Performance’ Program – Promote in girls and boys between the ages of 16 and 18 the drive to succeed in rugby and other aspects of their lives. This program combines high performance training, matches and tournaments
• ‘Pathways’ Program – Create opportunities for girls and boys of 18 and over to go onto productive activities of their choosing. This program works to promote academic routes, vocational skills and entrepreneurship
Start date: Mar 2025
End date: Mar 2027
Funding: £56,627
Beneficiaries: Around 1,200 boys annually, 100% black male
Funded through The Atlas Foundation by the TownsHip fund, this programme’s mission is to help develop a sustainable environment that will allow disadvantaged young people, from Townships and Villages, the chance to develop their talents and prosper. The fund supports legitimate and locally driven ventures; to broaden the horizons of underprivileged young people and to motivate them to engage in their communities, to remain in education, to participate in sport and to improve their situation.
Start date: May 2019
End date: April 2023
Funding: £18,000
Beneficiaries: 717 children and young people, 44% female
Team Talk is a project based in Laikipia County, that uses sport to break down social and gender barriers to enable community change, seeking to directly improve the lives of girls to enable them to be aspirational and play a fuller role in the family and the wider community. The boys develop a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by women in the community and with that a greater level of respect and support.
Funding awarded from the Atlas Foundation impacted on 717 children and young people across 8 schools, and contributed to:
• Increased school attendance: from 19% to 64% of girls reaching their final year
• Improvement in final school grades
• Reduction in early marriages and young pregnancies
• Reduction in malnutrition rates
• Improved self esteem and confidence in girls and boys
Start date: Jul 2016
End date: Dec 2019
Funding: £10,002
Beneficiaries: 1,400 children and young people, 40% female
Les Enfants de L’Ovale trains teachers to be rugby coaches, and rugby coaches to be teachers. Through their training programme, hundreds of teachers work across Africa, reaching thousands of children. Their educational programme provides education through the sport of Rugby in addition to general education such as academic support, learning new subjects and enrichment activities as well as providing health benefits including nutrition for children who grow up in challenging environments.
Funding from The Atlas Foundation for this programme in Agadir, Morocco contributed to impacting 1,400 children between ages 9 to 15 (60:40 boys:girls) across 14 schools.
Start date: Nov 2019
End date: Nov 2022
Funding: £10,500
Beneficiaries: 1,400 children and young people, 40% female
Les Enfants de L’Ovale trains teachers to be rugby coaches, and rugby coaches to be teachers. Through their training programme, hundreds of teachers work across Africa, reaching thousands of children. Their educational programme provides education through the sport of Rugby in addition to general education such as academic support, learning new subjects and enrichment activities as well as providing health benefits including nutrition for children who grow up in challenging environments.
Funding from The Atlas Foundation for this programme in Lazaina, Madagascar contributed to impacting 1,400 children between ages 9 to 15 (60:40 boys:girls) across 20 schools.
Date: Apr 2019
Funding: EUR 50,000
Beneficiaries: 150 children and young people annually
Funding from The Atlas Foundation for this project in Abidjan, Ivory Coast contributed to the build costs for constructing the ‘House of Les Enfants de L’Ovale’, a sports and education facility supporting children and young people locally, including from Yobou-Lambert, a settlement area for Nigerian migrants who were displaced during and after the Nigerian Civil war. Today the area suffers from insufficient housing and highly precarious living conditions. Once complete, The House of Les Enfants de L’Ovale will give the young people living here a safe space to escape their daily hardships.
Date: Nov 2024
Funding: GBP 4,204
Beneficiaries: Around 20 children aged 3-5 annually
Following a disaster relief appeal for Tonga after the 2022 tsunami, the funds raised by The Atlas Foundation were used to contribute to the building of the Tu’anuku Kindergarten on the outer island of Vava’u. The village needed a safe, reliable facility for its youngest learners, specifically designed to withstand the harsh coastal elements on a steep slope facing the ocean. The school is designed to be cyclone and earthquake resistant, providing the security of knowing that, regardless of the elements, the children will always have a stable place to learn.