The Phoenix Project is a multi award winning series of social inclusion programmes that use rugby union skills, drills and games to engage some of the most disaffected young people in our community today, this engagement then faciliates the delivery of secondary educational messages.

The Bristol Rugby Community Department has worked closely with a number of responsible delivery agencies (Avon Fire & Rescue Service, The Second Chance Project, Children & Young Persons Services, SERCO and HM Prisons, Premier Rugby Limited, EDF Energy and Business In The Community to name but a few) over the past three years to identify and develop social inclusion programmes that deal with specific issues.

Since it's inception in September 2007, the Phoenix Project has won three awards for best practice, the EDF Energy All Parliamentary Citizenship Award for Innovative Programming 2008 (for the Inferno Programme), Avon Fire & Rescue Service Partnership of the Year Award 2008 (for the Phoenix Project as a whole), and the EDF Energy All Parliamentary Citizenship Award for Innovative Programming in 2009 as well! (for the Bright Sparks Programme).

The Phoenix Project currently deliver two main programmes, they are The Inferno Programme and the Bright Sparks Programme.

THE INFERNO PROGRAMME is a 10 week anger management, self awareness and emotional resilience course aimed at young people in residential Pupil Refferral Units, Youth Offending Insitiutions and Prisons. The primary aims of the programme are to engage and practically educate dissaffected young people in methods self awareness and anger management using the medium of contact sport, namely rugby union.

Download further information on INFERNO here

THE BRIGHT SPARKS PROGRAMME is a 38 week placement (one morning peer week for the whole academic year) in designated secondary schools. Bright Sparks addresses the link between persistent absence, exclusion from mainstream education and subsequent anti-social behaviour and imprisonment. During the 38 course, participants cover a variety of carefully selected topics that aim to re-engage them in the education process.

The use of contact rugby union skills, drills and games as a method of engaging dissaffected young people is a potentially unique opportunity due to a combination of factors the sport holds dear. Firstly, rugby union prides itself on a number core ethics and values that stereotypically has given it a reputation as a 'thug's game played by gentleman'. Secondly, a requirement for positive and co-operative team work, to achieve outcomes and thirdly the use of controlled aggressive behaviour. These qualities have proven to engage and stimulate a very high percentage of the personality types we encounter during this type of delivery.

Download further information on BRIGHT SPARKS here.

For the 38 week planner, please download