Turning the spotlight on one of the successes of the HITZ programme
By Paul Morgan
2/3/21
Having gone from being disillusioned with the education system to being presented with the HITZ Academic Achiever award, Cameron Whitehead is a prime example of the success of Premiership Rugby’s HITZ programme.
After a childhood of being bullied and having made five unsuccessful attempts to gain maths and English qualifications, Cameron joined up with the HITZ programme at Exeter Chiefs and it has turned his life around.
HITZ, which is supported by the CVC Foundation, Land Rover, Wooden Spoon and SCL Education, is one of Premiership Rugby’s flagship community programmes. It is delivered by all Premiership Rugby clubs and Cameron is the epitome of the hugely positive effect HITZ can have on the lives of young people in England.
HITZ works with more than 2,000 14-23-year-olds across England every year and using rugby’s core values to develop the personal skills, life skills and employability skills of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Cameron is one of the inspirational young people that we will be turning the spotlight on across Round 12 of Gallagher Premiership Rugby (5-7 March) when all matches will be dedicated to our award-winning community programmes that benefit around 250,000 people annually.
At the Chiefs, Cameron’s attendance rose from 45 per cent to 100 per cent and he passed English and Maths Level 2 exams. Cameron’s hard work culminated in recognition at the 2019 HITZ Awards, where Exeter Chiefs HITZ Officer, Gareth Williams believes he earned his just reward.
“The HITZ Academic Achiever award meant a lot to Cam, and it meant a great deal to all of us as a group at the Chiefs,” said Williams. “He worked hard with [Exeter’s HITZ Tutor] Lewis Griffiths to make a plan that suited him, and he worked really hard at it.
“The progress he has made since he joined the programme is amazing. He was extremely shy when he first came in, but now he’s all singing and dancing! Cam is a huge character, we just needed to help him come out of his shell.
“He’s now studying for a BTEC Level 2 in employability skills, and we’re looking at work options for when he’s finished with his education. If he can join us here at Exeter, then that’s something we’d like to help him do. He’s already giving up lots of his time to help others and has become a real lead figure here. Even though he’s still doing his lessons, he offers support to his fellow students – he doesn’t have to do that, but that just shows what kind of character he’s grown into.”
Nearly 16,000 young people have engaged in the HITZ programme since it was created in 2008, and Williams believes the unique environment delivered nationally by Premiership Rugby’s 13 shareholder clubs is key to its success. And with the Covid-19 pandemic having presented many challenges to the personal, social and physical well-being of HITZ participants, Williams insists the programme offers a key service across the country.
He added: “I think we were able to give Cam the time he needed to help him progress, which he perhaps didn’t have before. Relationships are hugely important to us and we work hard to meet everyone’s needs. We’re working with 40 young people at the moment, and while everything was online during the first lockdown, we’ve since been able to base ourselves at Topsham RFC and remain open for our vulnerable students.
“We have had a lot of people making contact with us over recent times, a lot of them being former students. Whether people getting in touch are currently studying or have left and moved on, we want them to know we are here for them. I think that element of security can be massive, and I’m just hugely grateful that we’ve managed to create a space where we can continue to support young people like Cameron, to whom the programme means so much.”
Wayne Morris, Community & Corporate Social Responsibility Director at Premiership Rugby said: “We are extraordinarily proud of Cameron’s achievements and the many thousands of young people who have enrolled on the HITZ programme. Just signing up shows you want to bring about a change in your life, and HITZ is there to help you make it happen.”
“HITZ succeeds because it uses rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship to support young people to make positive changes in their life. Starting out in a field in the London Borough of Hackney in 2008, HITZ has gone from strength-to-strength and helped participants turn their lives around through gaining qualifications and developing their personal, life and employability skills.”