Gleave spent one year on the HITZ programme, passing all his maths, English and employability skills tests, gaining invaluable social skills and spending time building work experience with the club’s community team.
He also spent a period of time of work experience with The Cube Disability, and has now been offered an apprenticeship which started earlier this month.
“We have been very impressed with Nathan's progress from when we first met him nearly two years ago,” said Spencer Freed, The Cube Disability’s manager. “We are very delighted to offer Nathan an apprenticeship and hope he will again flourish in this role.”
Over recent seasons The Cube has been working closely with the Saints in delivering rugby-based programmes to its service users in the Northampton and Daventry areas, with centre Dom Waldouck donating considerable amounts of his time in both centres to work with adults and young people with learning disabilities and autism.
HITZ project officer Matt Goode says he is delighted for Gleave.
“Nathan came into the HITZ programme two years ago and has developed immensely,” he said. “He has grown a great deal as an individual and has shown the benefits of being part of a programme which is outside ‘traditional’ learning. But he has really engaged with all aspects of HITZ and I’m delighted that he has been offered the apprenticeship at The Cube.”
HITZ Northampton sees the Saints working in partnership with Northampton College to deliver innovative learning programmes to engage young people at risk of exclusion and anti-social behaviour, introducing them – often for the first time – to touch and contact rugby.
HITZ Northampton provides participants with the opportunity to access personal and social development programmes, educational support, vocational training programmes and workforce development Apprenticeships and volunteering opportunities. HITZ part of Premiership Rugby’s BreakThru campaign is supported by Barclays, Land Rover, Comic Relief and Wooden Spoon.
For more information about The Cube Disability visit www.thecubedisability.co.uk
For more information about HITZ Northampton visit www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/community
And for more information about how your company can become involved by offering apprenticeships to HITZ graduates email [email protected] or call 01604 599119.
