TackleLondon connects young people in under-resourced London boroughs with their communities and improves their mental wellbeing through rugby, mentoring, friendship and personal development, delivered through consistent, trusted coaching relationships.
We deliberately don’t use deficit-based eligibility.
Many of the young people in our programmes are navigating real, specific pressures: special educational needs, family circumstances involving social workers, caring responsibilities, poverty, homelessness, and exposure to violence or exploitation. TackleLondon meets them without requiring a label or a diagnosis to take part. Every young person’s wellbeing can be improved – participation isn’t conditional on meeting a threshold of need.
How We Track Our Impact
Working closely with coaches, schools, and clubs, we track a range of indicators to understand the difference our programmes make. This includes demographic information, such as SEN and disability, family income, mental health, and experiences of violence, gangs, exploitation, young caring, homelessness or refugee status, alongside attendance, progression, socio-emotional learning, relationships, wellbeing, engagement and reductions in risky behaviour. Progress is measured through session and tournament attendance, sustained participation over time, coach consistency, and feedback from schools on demographics, engagement and wellbeing. We also track longer-term outcomes, including progression into clubs or the MRRF Academy, and the number of young people who return to the programme as coaches, mentors or contributors.
SCHOOL | HOME | COMMUNITY |
Educational Life • 738 had special educational needs and disabilities • 60 were at risk of exclusion or had already been excluded • 61 were involved with a social worker | Home Life & Emotional Health • 32 were young carers • 81 had been affected by domestic violence or abuse • 1,547 were from low-income families or living in poverty • 21 had been affected by homelessness • 21 were refugees or asylum seekers | Mental Health & Wellbeing • 189 had mental health concerns • 86 had been affected by or involved in violence, gangs or exploitation
|
Area | Result |
Improved learning or work outcomes | 1,208 young people |
Improved engagement in school | 1,290 young people |
Improved socio-emotional learning skills | 1,063 young people |
Improved relationships | 1,327 young people |
Tangible improvements in mental health and wellbeing | 1,378 young people |
Reduced harmful or risky behaviour | 12 young people |
Schools reporting a clear impact on general wellbeing | All partner schools |
18 LONDON SCHOOLS
OVER 4500 YOUNG LONDONERS ENGAGED
7 RUGBY CLUB PARTNERS
Numbers tell part of the story. The rest is harder to put in a table.
Attendance figures and progression rates tell us the model is working. But they don’t capture what a tournament actually feels like for a young person taking on a role for the first time, or what it means to a coach to watch someone they’ve worked with for a year finally open up. Ask any of our coaches and the stories come easily: the community and friendship that builds through inter-school tournaments, the personal development that happens in sessions week to week, and the slower work of building trust with local authorities and the wider community.
Let’s take a closer look at what those numbers represent.
At 15, Jonathan joined Streatham-Croydon RFC through our community pathway. What started as a way to release frustration safely became a source of confidence, structure and belonging. Watch His Story.
Since launching, TackleLondon has engaged over 4500 young people across the capital. We’re proud to see the programme grow from more school partnerships to increased club engagement and stronger community presence. Our long-term mentoring model ensures that every young person has a consistent adult in their corner, offering guidance, stability, and belief.
Your support helps us continue this vital work - empowering young Londoners to make better choices and build better lives for themselves and their surrounding communities.
Read The Impact First Hand...
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