·       Do you have experience of creating content on social media & other digital channels?

·       Are you an effective communicator both verbally and in writing?

·       Are you willing to volunteer a small amount of time to help us grow the game of lacrosse?

If so, it would be great to have you join us at The Lacrosse Foundation - bringing your enthusiasm & creative skills to help support our Comms team.

We are looking for a volunteer to help us create content for our social media, website, and newsletter.

Please click here to view the full role description.

If you’d like to help us, please email comms@thelacrossefoundation.co.uk with a little bit about yourself and what you think you could bring to this role and we’ll be in touch.

As part of our efforts to raise awareness of The Lacrosse Foundation, we approached Joe Burnett who creates the regular ‘At The Face’ podcast [“the UK’s favourite lacrosse podcast”] to produce a series of three episodes highlighting some examples of how our larger grants have been deployed to help develop lacrosse at a grass roots level.

These are easy to listen to, and readily accessible – ideal for a trip on the bus or train, a walk in the fresh air, or when you’re having an easy day lounging around ?

Ahead of the series of three ‘Grant-recipients’ podcasts, was an introduction to TLF:

#0 - Episode 16 (May 2021) - an overview of TLF with our Chair Rob Collinge

 The three ‘Grant-recipient’ podcasts are:

#1 – Episode 27 (Dec 2021) – introducing lacrosse to a new area with Border City’s Dan Clements

#2 – Episode 34 (Apr 2022) – deploying lacrosse into FE (Further Education) Colleges with Helen Amos

 #3 - Episode 50 (April 2023) - setting up a new Junior Lacrosse Club with Richmond's Rob Arnott  

This latest episode of the 'At The Face' podcast has recently been released, and features Rob Arnott (former Trustee of TLF; co-founder of Richmond Junior LC and SE Lacrosse Development).

Go on, give them a listen

We are delighted to partner with Joe and ‘At The Face’ in this alternative means to promote both The Lacrosse Foundation, and those individuals who are aiming to develop the game of lacrosse in Great Britain.

Over the last two years, University of Nottingham has cemented itself as one of the leading clubs for student lacrosse.  In 2022, the Women’s 1st team were BUCS Champions, repeating that feat again in 2023, along with their 2nd team winning the BUCS Trophy. This year the Men’s 1st team also reached the BUCS Final, losing to local rivals Nottingham Trent. 

This success undoubtedly raises the profile of the sport at the University, and inspires more new students to give lacrosse a try.   Whilst the Women’s club runs six teams; the Men’s has recently been limited to just two, both of which play at a competitive level that makes it difficult to introduce beginners, so there was limited opportunity to support new players looking to take their first steps in playing the sport.

With increasing interest from students, plans were made to form a new Men’s 3rd team for the 2022/23 season, which would consist entirely of beginners to the game.  There was only enough club kit to fully equip four players (plus some old or borrowed gloves & pads from other players in the club), so providing additional protective equipment - specifically helmets - was vital to enable them to play the sport.  

TLF approved a grant in September 2022 to purchase seven new helmets for the club. The club held taster sessions which attracted 24 new playing members (the largest annual intake) with these beginners able to wear the helmets at the weekly training sessions, as well as take part in their first matches against other universities.  The availability of the equipment, plus coaching, social events & BUCS games also resulted in more of these new members continuing to practice with a consequential development in their skill levels.

This 3rd team has enjoyed some great victories over its first season - particularly impressive as all the players had only started the sport a few months ago.  One of the new players summed up his year as follows: 

“Joining lacrosse at university has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. Lacrosse at the University of Nottingham has provided myself and others with a fantastic opportunity to try out an exciting new sport and form lifelong friendships. The University lacrosse community has been incredibly supportive of the development of the sport for new players, and the massively successful year that the club has had would not have been possible without the grant from The Lacrosse Foundation”.

Boardman & Eccles Lacrosse Club, based at Monton Sports Club in Salford, Manchester has a proud history going back almost 120 years, but over recent times rugby and football has increasingly dominated school sport in Salford, with lacrosse being deprioritised in the curriculum.

The club has managed to maintain links with eight local primary schools, but activity has been stop-start due to limited school budgets and some PE co-ordinator’s lack of interest in non-mainstream sports.  This has in turn resulted in low numbers of children in the club’s junior section, which has then needed them to combine with Cheadle Hulme LC juniors to enable boys matches to be played.

In December 2022, TLF approved a £5,000 grant to fund regular coaching sessions in local primary schools (Y3 to Y6; ages 7-11) for the first year of the club’s three-year programme. This aims to make lacrosse a regular part of the schools’ curriculum, and to create and strengthen the links between schools & the club so more youngsters come to play in the junior section.

Since the New Year, the extra coaching provision has meant lacrosse is now being taught in nine local schools (compared to four in 2022), which has seen club numbers grow, with eight new U-10 boys joining, and five new U-11 girls.    

This builds upon the commitment that continues to be shown by club volunteers and parents in running the junior sessions and supporting the teams - which saw the U-11 Girls and U-14 Boys teams celebrate successful seasons. 

The highlight was the recent victory for the Bears U-11 Girls in the final of the JNGLA Cup [Junior Northern Girls Lacrosse Association] beating Mellor 7-3.  Great scenes at the final, and a really positive foundation for the club to build on and continue to develop their junior programme.