Gloucestershire Rugby: Veteran recognised for work with young people

Dominic Malone said he "loves every minute" of his role

A volunteer helping students struggling with the education system has been recognised for his achievements by Premiership Rugby.

Dominic Malone said he "got into a bit of trouble" after leaving the Army, briefly becoming homeless.

He said his own struggles help him to relate to students in Gloucester Rugby's educational programme HITZ.

Mr Malone said: "I'm able to sit and have a conversation with people who are suffering in the same way that I did."

The veteran said he will "offer them advice and tell them it's okay because I've been where you are and I've managed to turn things around and now I get to work for one of the best rugby clubs in the world".

The young people he works with come from different challenging backgrounds and many have fallen out of the state educational system.

The HITZ scheme uses rugby's core values to get participants back into education, training, apprenticeships and/or employment.

They are set to a curriculum, but it is "flexible" said Mr Malone, adding that this allows the students to be "more relaxed whilst they do the work and [we] get the best from them".

'Rocky road'

Mr Malone joined the army straight after school but said he "didn't have the best of times after".

"My life was a little bit up and down, little bit of a rocky road," he said.

"From that I gained a lot of life experience in and around the positive things to do and the things not to do."

Dominic Malone said: "Rugby is for everybody"

He added: "I manage to bring this to the job that I've currently got and allow the students to understand that it's okay to make mistakes, it's what you do with those mistakes after.

"You either carry on and be positive in your life or you allow it to consume you and you carry on down that negative road."

Mr Malone, who is the adult education lead for Gloucester Rugby Charitable Foundation, said: "Rugby is for everybody.

"It doesn't matter where you're from, doesn't matter how big or small you are. It gives you an opportunity to make new friends, to find a family away from a family with no prejudice whatsoever."

He said of his job: "I love every minute of it.

"It's a role that I've been given that I'm blessed with - to be able to say I can help people."