Welcome | What we do | Who are we? | News & Events | Help us | Can we help you? | Links | Contact

WELCOME TO THE HEARTS AND BALLS WEBSITE

Rugby brings immense pleasure and a sense of community to millions of people. But, occasionally, it brings tragedy instead – like many other sports. Though it happens very rarely, injuries can be serious and life-changing. Hearts and Balls aims to ensure that, in times of need, those connected with rugby are supported by the wider rugby community.

Since 1999 we’ve supported over 30 players and their families. This support has taken many forms – financial and non-financial, short-term and long-term. Click here to see what we do.

If you yourself have suffered a serious injury on the rugby field, or are suffering as a result of an injury to a loved one, we may be able to support you too. Go to Can We Help You? to find out more.

On the other hand, you may be able to support us. If you’d like to donate money, or join a fundraising event, go to Help Us. The News and Events section also has details of fundraising activities, both past and future.

WHAT WE DO

Hearts and Balls has donated in the region of £200,000 to rugby players and their families since 1999. Through advice and advocacy, we also help them to raise money from other sources. Our recent funding includes:

* new wheelchairs for players with spinal injuries
* specialist mattresses for players with spinal injuries
* adapting the home and garden of a spinally-injured player
* car insurance for a specialist vehicle for a spinally-injured player
* an additional carer to accompany a spinally-injured player on holiday
* mortgage interest payments for the wife and young children of a player who died from a heart problem when playing rugby
* specialist IT equipment for a spinally-injured player returning to study
* legal costs of setting up a trust for an injured player.

We also work with national and international bodies and charities to help provide specialist vehicles and other equipment.

Our next goal is to develop plans and actions to help players with spinal or other catastrophic injuries to pursue education and development goals and to achieve gainful and fulfilling employment. We will do this in conjunction with other partners.

WHO ARE WE?

Hearts and Balls was conceived in 1999 when a player from the Lismore Rugby Club in Edinburgh suffered a serious spinal injury that left him paralysed. Having run a highly successful appeal, Lismore decided to widen its support to cover other players impacted by serious injury or illness. Thus, Hearts and Balls came into being, with the aim of ‘helping rugby help its own’. Since then, we’ve helped numerous players and families.

Apart from specially-targeted marketing assistance for events, no salaries are taken from Hearts and Balls’ funds. All directors give their time and expertise on a voluntary basis.

OUR DIRECTORS

Malcolm Gillies

Introduction to come.

Liam McArthur

My rugby career was put out of its misery after only a handful of unremarkable performances for Kirkwall Grammar in Orkney in the 1980s. Accused of pushing in the lineouts and jumping in the scrums, I have no doubt that this was a mercy killing. However, my far more talented younger brother, Dug, was a keen rugby player. Tragically, he was left quadraplegic after a terrible rugby accident in 1996. As a Trustee of Dug's Trust Fund, I met John, Jeff and others involved in Struan Kerr Liddell's appeal and realised that such injuries were rare but sadly common enough. Hearts and Balls emerged from a belief in the need for more of a collective approach to supporting guys like Dug and Struan, financially but also emotionally.

Jeff Milliken

I played rugby until well past when I should have stopped, on the odd occassion I still turn up although many would query what game I am playing. I have been fortunate through work to live in Asia, Latin America and the UK and on each occasion rugby has been the bridge to great experiences, memories and friendships. On the way there has been the odd broken bone, 2 lost teeth and a few stitches (I was a slow scrum half ) but the ´trade off´ was personally worth it. On the very odd occassion that ´trade off´ is something a lot more significant. I played when Struan Kerr broke his neck. Hearts and Balls, does not change peoples lives, does not make it better, but we believe what we do in some small way helps some very courageous people.

John Evans

I have spent 35 years in rugby as a player and referee at (very) junior levels and have enjoyed almost every minute of it. In 1981 I suffered a neck injury in a scrum collapse in my first game at open-age group level. On two occasions when I have been unavailable to play the individual replacing me has suffered a serious neck injury- it is that which has driven me above anything else to be part of the Hearts and Balls team and to work to help those who suffer catastrophic injury. I believe that rugby is unique in its community and its ability to help its own puts it in a great position to assist injured players through financial, pastoral and spiritual support.

I am immensely proud to be involved with Hearts and Balls and hope that others will join us as we expand our work across the rugby communities and family.

Jim Littlefair

I was enormously fortunate to play at Stewart's Melville thru the late 70's and early 80's and to have played with some very fine players. Whether the Calder, Brewster, Morgan and Scott brothers say the same of having had to play with me is open to some conjecture.

My exposure to the plight of the catastrophically injured player and his family occurred when Jonny Mitchell, Captain of North Berwick suffered a serious spinal injury in the first scrum of the club's game at Hawick Linden. I am delighted to have been involved with Jonny's Trust Fund and now the wider causes that Hearts and Balls can assist.

OUR PARTNERS

We have developed relationships with several other partners including:

• Murrayfield Centenary Fund
• New Zealand Rugby Foundation
• Sportsman's Charity
• Hearts in Union-Australia

If you know of, or are involved with, any other organisations who might work with Hearts and Balls to help rugby help its own, please feel free to Contact Us.

NEWS AND EVENTS