QTS School of Rugby volunteers time with Whiteleys Retreat

Pupils taking part in the QTS School of Rugby were out giving back to their community recently with some charity work at Whiteleys Retreat in Ayr.

A team of nine pupils from Ayr Academy, who take part in weekly rugby training sessions with Ayr Rugby Club coach Nick Cox, took some time out of their school day to attend local charity Whiteleys Retreat, which is also sponsored by QTS, and volunteer their services.

Whiteleys Retreat offer weeklong stays for families with children who are being treated for cancer. At the retreat, families can relax and spend some time together as well as enjoy some recreation with alpacas, ponies, rabbits and other farm animals that live on the property.

The School of Rugby pupils were given a tour of the property and learned a little about what the charity does before spending some time cleaning out the barn and raking the chips in the playpark. Once this was done, they took a walk across the vast field and were given some time to enjoy the leisure activities on the farm.

Coach Nick Cox said: “We had a lovely morning with the folks at Whiteleys Retreat learning about the wonderful work they do for families of ailing children. Thanks so much to Susan for taking us through the retreat, helping us get stuck into some chores and giving the boys a shot of some of the fun activities.”

Susan Webb, development and charity manager at Whiteleys, said: “It was an absolute pleasure and privilege to welcome the boys from the Ayr Academy QTS School of Rugby, brought along by Nick and Emma from Ayr Rugby Football Club. Their enthusiasm for volunteering meant that as well as helping to help tidy and clean our large barn and surrounding area, they also had some time to enjoy our countryside setting.

“Feeding our animals and a walk down through the retreat, allowed the boys to hear about the charity and the families we support here. The boys seemed really enthusiastic about spending time here and it was really wonderful to meet them all.”

Photo credit: QTS

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