74% of the Hull FC Community Foundation’s ‘Kickstart’ participants have progressed into full-time employment or further training.

In March 2021, the Community Foundation was awarded 16 places on the ‘Kickstart’ programme, in partnership with the RFL, as the nation prepared to start heading back to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first two ‘Kickstart’ placements began in June 2021 – after that, the Hull FC Community Foundation facilitated another fourteen placements across the club’s retail, business administration, media and foundation departments.

‘Kickstart’ was originally launched with the aim of helping unemployed adults gain the experience they needed to work their way into full-time employment.

Since the ‘Kickstart’ programme drew to a close at the end of 2021, the Community Foundation is pleased to report that 74% of its participants have progressed into full-time employment or further training, taking full advantage of their opportunities whilst with the Black & Whites.

Better still, the club has shown faith and loyalty in several of its ‘Kickstart’ participants, with 6 of the 16 on the programme progressing into employment with Hull FC.

Head of the Hull FC Community Foundation James Price said: “It has been incredibly refreshing to see the majority of our ‘Kickstart’ participants rewarded for their hard work over the last twelve months.

“What has been even more pleasing is that we have been able to keep six of our ‘Kickstart’ participants on with us after they demonstrated some of the core values that this club is based on, including work ethic and team work.”

Jack Wagner joined the ‘Kickstart’ programme through the Hull FC Community Foundation and he is one of the six who progressed into employment with the club.

Jack, who now works in the club’s Media & Marketing department said: “Through the Kickstart scheme and Hull FC, I turned my passion into a career and found a new lease of life alongside a great team to work and grow with.”