New chairperson and vice-chair for Newcastle Rugby Foundation
Former international referee Iain Ramage steps up to chairperson having previously been a trustee of the foundation, with new vice-chair Tracy Lynch bringing expertise from her role as manager of the Greggs Foundation.
The Newcastle Rugby Foundation is the charitable arm of both Newcastle Falcons and Newcastle Thunder, which aims to motivate, educate and inspire via the power of sport.
The foundation would like to thank Mick Hogan for his eight years in the role on a voluntary basis, and for the fact he will stay on as a trustee in the short term to allow for a smooth transition.
Head of foundation Melanie Magee said: “The role of the trustees in supporting the work of the foundation is crucial to the success of our projects in the North East and Cumbria.
“We are extremely lucky to have such a wealth of experience and knowledge on the board of trustees, no more so than Mick. I can’t thank him enough for the support his has given both the foundation, myself, the staff and volunteers over the years.
“We have an exceptional new chair in Iain Ramage, and vice-chair in Tracy Lynch, who I look forward to working with more closely as we continue to grow and improve the work of the charity.”
Hogan said: “Congratulations to both Iain for being elected as chair, and Tracy as vice-chair – two fantastic appointments which mean the foundation will be in the very best of hands.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed by eight years as chair of the Newcastle Rugby Foundation. It has been a privilege to work alongside such a talented, generous and forward-thinking group of trustees who all give their time so selflessly.
“The Foundation staff continue to break new ground, and use the values of rugby league and rugby union to tackle some of the challenges that our communities face. The ways in which they constantly develop new approaches and use sport as an enabler to positive impact is inspirational. I’m proud to have worked with so many talented people.
“I’d also like to thank the management, staff, coaches and players of both Newcastle Falcons and Newcastle Thunder. Their commitment to community support has always been outstanding and it means that the Foundation has continued to flourish. The backing of the various funding bodies, our partners and all the programme volunteers has been instrumental in the foundation’s success.
“I will remain as a trustee for a short while longer, but leave the role of chair immensely proud of what we all have achieved.”
Ramage said: “I’m honoured to be given the opportunity to take over as chair of the Newcastle Rugby Foundation Trustees.
“Under Mick Hogan’s leadership the foundation has worked with our partners to support a significant number of programmes over the years, making such a difference in the North East, and with the Rugby League World Cup coming to the region later this year we are looking forward to using this platform to help even more people.”
