Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund

1. Fundraising

The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund are excited to continue working on our upcoming dinners, events and challenges ready to be shared soon!

We are exceptionally proud of our runners who took on the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in Cape Town in April. They each completed the 56miles around Cape Peninsula, raising fantastic funds in the process - if you haven't already seen their results on social media do check it out!

2. Projects

The need to support vulnerable children and our drive to do so has continued since our last report. We remain determined to keep expanding our reach and maintaining our support to thousands of children, helping with education, health and well being through our programmes in Asia and have been in conversations exploring ways of leveraging partnerships and projects that will benefit the children.

Kampuchea Balopp

After thier successful expansion to the Oudong region, the project has been a vital pillar for children in Cambodia to access regular sporting sessions and to feel that sense of inclusion and acceptance all children deserve. 

In addition to their KB Days, we were recently able to take 8 families from Tanglin Rugby Club to visit the project last weekend. It was heartwarming to see with such clarity the impact this programme has on the children and their families; the enthusiasm, energy, and enjoyment from not just the children, but also the KB educators is a testament to the meaningful impact and genuine desire to improve the lives of these disadvantaged communities. 

KB are also facilitating a project tour which will involve a coaching clinic which will be a fantastic addition - keep an eye out on our social media!

Khelo Rugby

We are delighted to have concluded our three year funding agreement with Khelo Rugby that will ensure the project continues to help young children in India to thrive and pleased to be a part of this programme. Our drive and determination to support these children is matched by Khelo Rugby's diligence and fantastic work.

The ethos of Khelo Rugby to provide mentorship and support continues to be reflected in our education programmes. As we embark on the opportuntity of a scholarship program for secondary school children as well as university scholars, we are proud to contribute to a systematic change in a community where education has largely remained an unaffordable luxury. 

While we look to have a tangible and meaningful impact on individual children, we also look to penetrate the stubborn barriers of inequalities and deficits that linger in the whole community. It is the hope these programmes will at a grass root level facilitate change for children in generations to come. We have already seen 80% of children progress from early years of learning, up from 18%, and we are confident we can have an impact on secondary and university level too, providing the structure to give back to younger peers.

The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund have been seeking ways to leverage knowledge of the educational sector in Asia to help identify several potential partners who will work with us and Khelo Rugby to create these bespoke educational programs that can be delivered to player at Khelo Rugby. 

We would like to thank Studycat for their kind donation for the software and the time and commitment given to the pilot and early stages of the program. Together we are making productive steps to analysise and assess our current impacts and how best to implement the program moving forward as we get ready to role out to Saraswatipur. As we improve and adapt our pilot to optimise the project's impacts, we are delighted that the possibility of reaching more children is becoming a close reality. 

Atlas Foundation Asia & Anita, Alex & Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund - Asia Regional Report

1. Fundraising

With the many restrictions in Singapore lifted The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund are excited to be looking at Fundraising events over the next coming year!

We are currently looking into more events, runs and Gala dinner, all dates and details to be confirmed.

We do have a team entering the ‘Two Oceans Ultra Marathon’ and are looking forward to promoting this event. For many of the participants they have just completed the entry marathon to be eligible to do the race in under four hours! We will be updating and following their progress for the April event.

1. Projects

As projects and areas find a new norm following the Covid Pandemic, the need for help and support has clearly not been reduced but neither has our determination to find and support the poorest and most disadvantaged children in Asia.

Kampuchea Balop

We are excited to be looking at our partnership renewal to guarantee the longevity of our relationship. The team have recently had the opportunity to visit the project in action. Travelling to Oudong where the Anita, Alex & Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund sponsors an All-Schools programme, taking rugby into the schools as part of the children’s PE program. The team managed to visit two of the five schools.

What shone through all of the sessions they saw was the caring enthusiasm, energy and know how from the KB educators and the absolute enjoyment on view from every one of the children.

These children have so little but thanks to KB they now have rugby. The rugby values of teamwork, respect for themselves and the team/classmates. It was also great to see so many girls engaged alongside the boys.

They continue to do a great job of engaging and supporting children with significant disadvantages in Cambodia.

Khelo Rugby

We are excited to be finalising a new three year funding agreement with Khelo Rugby, we are continuing to support this project and are looking to build on the past relationship with them and support the growth of the fantastic work they do in Kolkota and other parts of India.

The application for funding has been split into four parts allowing the Foundation to support the day to day running of the project bringing Rugby to an underprivileged community providing far more than just sport. Behind it lying the ethos and values of rugby. We are also excited to be embarking on the opportunity of a scholarship program for secondary school children as well as university scholars. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a systematic change, the funding will go some way to helping disadvantage children not only through rugby but also contribute through education making a grass route change and facilitating these children within the community

The ethos of khelo Rugby is to provide mentorship and support throughout the programme so these scholarships will penetrate far wider then the individual themselves they will benefit a community as a whole as they help and tutor younger peers.

The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund have been seeking ways to leverage knowledge of the educational sector in Asia to help identify several potential partners who will work with The Anita, Alex and Annabel Memorial Fund and Khelo Rugby to create bespoke educational programs that can be delivered to the players at khleo Rugby.

The first part of this pilot started in August 2022, with an exciting horizon. Due to the recent success of the GlobalGiving “Little by Little” campaign we raised enough funds for 15 extra seats in our pop-up classrooms. We intend to extend this to 20 seats and replicate the project in Saraswatipur with the hope that we can engage with a cohort of 8-10year olds along with an additional cohort of older children at different times using the same devices.

We would like to thank Studycat for their kind donation for the software and the time and commitment given to get this pilot up and running. With their continued support they have provided the educational online platform giving access for the students and teachers to facilitate this pilot without whom it would not be possible.

As we analyse the success of our pilot and the impact it has had in a short space of time, we are looking at best ways to improve or adapt the pilot in order to optimise the project. We hope that this will allow us to gain the optimal success when trying to expand out to a larger community of children.

Le Tour ICB is a virtual cycling event that took place in March 2021 Khelo Rugby requested to spend the funds raised to replace two of their existing buses, we are delighted to announce the arrival of these buses! These buses will be used to transport the children within the programme, adding to the resources for the children and pushing the availability of the program through the communities that they serve.

In addition, in the spirit of cycling the remaining funds have been used for their cycle workshop, four mountain bikes in Saraswatipur and two road bikes for use in Kolkata. We look forward to hearing about their progress!

Atlas Foundation Asia & Anita, Alex & Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund - Asia Regional Report

1. Fundraising

With the many restrictions in Singapore lifted The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund are excited to be looking at Fundraising events over the next coming year!

We are currently looking into more events, runs and Gala dinner, all dates and details to be confirmed.

1. Projects

As projects and areas find a new norm following the Covid Pandemic, the need for help and support has clearly not been reduced but neither has our determination to find and support the poorest and most disadvantaged children in Asia.

Kampuchea Balop

As we enter our final year of funding with Kampuchea Balopp. We are excited to be looking at our partnership renewal to guarantee the longevity of our relationship. The team have recently had the opportunity to visit the project in action. Travelling to Oudong where the Anita, Alex & Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund sponsors an All-Schools programme, taking rugby into the schools as part of the children’s PE program. The team managed to visit two of the five schools.

What shone through all of the sessions they saw was the caring enthusiasm, energy and know how from the KB educators and the absolute enjoyment on view from every one of the children.

These children have so little but thanks to KB they now have rugby. The rugby values of teamwork, respect for themselves and the team/classmates. It was also great to see so many girls engaged alongside the boys.

They continue to do a great job of engaging and supporting children with significant disadvantages in Cambodia.

Khelo Rugby

We are excited to be entering a new funding agreement with Khelo Rugby, we are continuing to support this project and are looking to build on the past relationship with them and support the growth of the fantastic work they do in Kolkota and other parts of India.

As we finalise the agreement, the application for funding has been split into four parts allowing the Foundation to support the day to day running of the project bringing Rugby to an underprivileged community providing far more than just sport. Behind it lying the ethos and values of rugby. We are also excited to be embarking on the opportunity of a scholarship program for secondary school children as well as university scholars. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a systematic change, the funding will go some way to helping disadvantage children not only through rugby but also contribute through education making a grass route change and facilitating these children within the community

The ethos of khelo Rugby is to provide mentorship and support throughout the programme so these scholarships will penetrate far wider then the individual themselves they will benefit a community as a whole as they help and tutor younger peers.

The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund have been seeking ways to leverage knowledge of the educational sector in Asia to help identify several potential partners who will work with The Anita, Alex and Annabel Memorial Fund and Khelo Rugby to create bespoke educational programs that can be delivered to the players at khleo Rugby.

The first part of this pilot started in August 2022, with an exciting horizon. Due to the recent success of the GlobalGiving “Little by Little” campaign we raised enough funds for 15 extra seats in our pop-up classrooms. We intend to extend this to 20 seats and replicate the project in Saraswatipur with the hope that we can engage with a cohort of 8-10year olds along with an additional cohort of older children at different times using the same devices.

We would like to thank Studycat for their kind donation for the software and the time and commitment given to get this pilot up and running. With their continued support they have provided the educational online platform giving access for the students and teachers to facilitate this pilot without whom it would not be possible.

We will keep you updated with our progress.

Le Tour ICB is a virtual cycling event that took place in March 2021 Khelo Rugby requested to spend the funds raised to replace two of their existing buses, we are delighted to announce the arrival of these buses! These buses will be used to transport the children within the programme, adding to the resources for the children and pushing the availability of the program through the communities that they serve.

In addition, in the spirit of cycling the remaining funds have been used for their cycle workshop, four mountain bikes in Saraswatipur and two road bikes for use in Kolkata. We look forward to hearing about their progress!

Cebu Dragons Rugby Club

We have been in discussion with a Cebu Dragons Rugby and Football Club in the Philippines for some time with a view to supporting the expansion of their community outreach work. The club has an outreach programme for underprivileged children in local communities, including children from the local orphanage and a school for children with special educational needs. These discussions have been put on hold due to Covid lockdowns. Following the relief aid sent earlier this year in response to the Typoon disaster in December 2021, we are currently waiting for further instructions for engagement with this well-deserved project.

Sri Lanka Project

We are also beginning to revive the plans for a project in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Khelo Rugby.   More details will follow in the next update.

Mixed Ability Rugby Singapore

As we are approach the end of a successful pilot programme, we Initially planned to run for a 4 weeks programme with 15 junior children and 15 senior children from a local special educational support school mixed with International secondary school, with the aim to match number wise as much as possible. Following the successful for everyone involved we were delighted to be able to extend this by a further two weeks.

The Programme has given both parties an open appreciation for the commitment and the ethos of rugby. They have all forged new friendships as well as enjoying and learning the principles of rugby and the power behind the game and its commitment to community and change. It has proved to be an amazing experience for everyone involved. More details and plans to follow!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people that offered support for our events and projects whether that has been in participating physically or supporting financially or both. We are extremely grateful. With your support we can strive to help to some of the poorest children in Asia, giving them the chance to thrive.

Atlas Foundation Asia & Anita, Alex & Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund - Asia Regional Report

1. Fundraising

With the many restrictions in Singapore lifted The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund are excited to be looking at Fundraising events over the next coming year!

Prior to the lifting of restrictions ‘Breaking Through in 22’ was organized as a ‘socially distanced’ event.  A group of supporters from the insurance community cycled, swan, walked or ran as many Kilometres as possible during the month of April, raising over £4,000! Thank you!

As things open up, we are currently looking into more events, runs and Gala dinner, all dates and details to be confirmed.

        2. Projects

Many of the projects we have targeted are now open allowing the children back to the rugby pitch, which is amazing to see.  We have never been more appreciative for some normality allowing these children access to sports, education and social support. The need has clearly not reduced during the Covid Pandemic but neither has our determination to find and support the poorest and most disadvantaged children in Asia.

Kampuchea Balop

We are currently entering our and final year of funding with Kampuchea Balopp.  We are excited to be looking at our partnership renewal to guarantee the longevity of our relationship. 

They have just completed their second social inclusion weekend which has been funded as a separate entity to our existing funding.  These give the mixed ability children within the program a chance to play rugby together and thrive!

They continue to do a great job of engaging and supporting children with significant disadvantages in Cambodia. 

Jungle Crows/Khelo Rugby

We are continuing to support Jungle Crows/Khelo rugby and are looking to build on the past relationship with them and support the growth of the fantastic work they do in Kolkota and other parts of India. 

The Anita, Alex and Annabel Nicholson Memorial Fund have been seeking ways to leverage knowledge of the educational sector in Asia to help identify several potential partners who will work with The Anita, Alex and Annabel Memorial Fund and Jungle Crows to create bespoke educational programs that can be delivered to the players at Jungle Crows. 

We are excited to have finalised the first stage of our educational pilot with Jungle Crows which is about to start any day!  The first part will involve 20 children in Kolkata.  We have funded 22 tablet devices to facilitate the pilot and have kindly been donated an educational online platform giving access for the students and teachers to facilitate this pilot without whom it would not be possible.  We would like to thank them for their kind donation for the software and the time and commitment given to get this pilot up and running. 

The educators have been trained in preparation for the launch to familiarise themselves with the educational platform.  Students will come 2-3 times a week and classes of up to an hour each (most likely 2 X 30 mins). Jungle Crows team will have teacher training access to be able to understand and interpret how to monitor each student

If this pilot proves to be a success, we plan to replicate the pilot in Saraswatipur. 

Le Tour ICB is a virtual cycling event that took place in March 2021 which managed to raise over £15,000, the money donated was specifically for Jungle Crows and Khelo Rugby and separate to any exciting or future funding.

Jungle Crows & Khelo Rugby requested to use the funds to replace two of their existing buses used to transport the children within the program, adding to the resources for the children and pushing the availability of the program through the communities that they serve.  

In addition, in the spirit of cycling the remaining funds have been used for their cycle workshop, four mountain bikes in Saraswatipur and two road bikes for use in Kolkata.  We look forward to hearing about their progress!

Cebu Dragons Rugby Club

We have been in discussion with a Cebu Dragons Rugby and Football Club in the Philippines for some time with a view to supporting the expansion of their community outreach work.  The club has an outreach programme for underprivileged children in local communities, including children from the local orphanage and a school for children with special educational needs.  These discussions have been put on hold due to Covid lockdowns.  Following the relief aid sent earlier this year in response to the Typoon disaster in December 2021, we are currently waiting for further instructions for engagement with this well-deserved project.

Sri Lanka Project

We are also beginning to revive the plans for a project in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Jungle Crows.   More details will follow in the next update.

Mixed Ability Rugby Singapore

With the easing of Covid restrictions here in Singapore we are excited to be embarking on a pilot program with a local school.  Initially this will run for 4 weeks with 15 junior children and 15 senior children in two separate sessions once a week for four weeks.  We are aiming to match this number with existing ruby players and coaches.  Initially we will be embracing Tag rugby.  We are excited to get this pilot off the ground.  The expected start date is August 2022!  More details to follow!

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people that offered support for our events and projects whether that has been in participating physically or supporting financially or both.  We are extremely grateful.  With your support we can strive to help to some of the poorest children in Asia, giving them the chance to thrive.

1.         Fundraising

Singapore and the jurisdictions we target to support have been under COVID related restrictions for almost all of 2021.  These have included blanket travel restrictions and quarantines and restrictions on events.  Gradually as we start to see an ease to some of these restrictions, we remain hopeful that some events may take place in 2022. 

Covid restrictions within Singapore are still in place but this has not dampened the enthusiasm of the supporters of the Nicholson Memorial Fund and Atlas Asia who have continued to raise money through ‘socially distanced’ events. 

A group of supporters from the insurance community are organising an ‘April Challenge’ here in Singapore under the heading “Breaking Through in 2022” and will be fundraising for Atlas Asia.  There will be corporate teams in a virtual competition across four different activities: cycling, running, walking and swimming - so something for everyone!  Details currently being finalised.

2.         Projects

Many of the projects we have targeted have struggled to continue under Covid and lock downs.  With the introduction of the easing of restrictions in many areas, projects are slowly beginning to open, it has been great to see the children out on the Rugby pitch again.  The need has clearly not have reduced, but neither has our determination to find and support the poorest and most disadvantaged children in Asia.

Kampuchea Balop

We are currently approaching our third and final year of funding with Kampuchea Balopp.  We are excited to be looking at our partnership renewal to guarantee the longevity of our relationship.  They continue to do a great job of  engaging and supporting children with significant disadvantages in Cambodia and have managed to get new initiatives off the ground despite the COVID pandemic. 

We have also connected KB with education NGO See Beyond Borders with a view to them developing a plan to expand the KB project into the Battambang region of Cambodia.

Jungle Crows/Khelo Rugby

We are continuing to support Jungle Crows/Khelo rugby and are looking to build on the past relationship with them and support the growth of the fantastic work they do in Kolkota and other parts of India. 

Alongside the traditional funding, we in the process of finalising an educational pilot project with Jungle Crows.  This will be a digital platform teaching the children English.   The Pilot will run in two different areas initially working with 60 children, 15 aged 10-12 and 15 aged 13-14 in each area. 

If the Pilot proves to be a success, we will look on expanding this within Jungle Crows/Khelo Rugby and consider whether it can be replicated elsewhere.  Confirmed details of the pilot will be in future updates.  

Cebu Dragons Rugby Club

We have been in discussion with a Cebu Dragons Rugby and Football Club in the Philippines for some time with a view to supporting the expansion of their community outreach work.  The club has an outreach programme for underprivileged children in local communities, including children from the local orphanage and a school for children with special educational needs.  These discussions have been put on hold due to Covid lockdowns over the past 18 months.

In the wave of their recent Typoon disaster hitting Cebu, the project leader reached out for help with emergency food aid and related support for the community outreach families supported by the Rugby Club. 

Cebu Dragons Rugby and Football Club were able to source food aid parcels at circa US$25 per parcel.  This included Rice, water, canned food, salt, sugar, disposable masks, spray alcohol.  $3500 SDG has been granted for the first batch.  It is anticipated that a further grant will be made shortly.  We are also trying to find partners to assist with reconstruction work for those club families who have lost their homes. 

Sri Lanka Project

We are also beginning to revive the plans for a project in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Jungle Crows.   More details will follow in the next update.

Mixed Ability Rugby Singapore

Finally, in the anticipation of easing of Covid restrictions we have made measures to link up with local contacts to discuss the best ways of moving forward with the Mixed Ability Rugby programme here in Singapore.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people that offered support for our events and projects whether that has been in participating physically or supporting financially or both.  We are extremely grateful.  With your support we can strive to help to some of the poorest children in Asia, giving them the chance to thrive.