The idea of Forward Foundation was initially sparked in my old student flat during a conversation with a like-minded friend of mine. I had been told a week earlier that funding for a community project I had been planning was not going to go through, and that I either had to do it myself or pull the pin. As my friends and family will tell you, I don’t like to be told no. A month later, myself and a group of friends from university had filed our application for a charitable trust.
My earliest vivid memory of playing rugby is one I don’t completely remember. A player had pulled me backwards by my jersey and I woke up on the side line. I was ten, and my parents asked me to choose a new sport. Fat chance. Forward Foundation stands for ‘FOR Women Achieving Rugby Distinctions’ but it was obvious to us that girls playing sports other than just rugby also need our help.
The proudest moment for me in the Foundation would be our first trip away with a bunch of girls to the Oamaru South Island Girls’ Rugby Festival. Seeing everyone come together from different backgrounds helped me and the other two volunteers on the trip realise what we could achieve under the Foundation umbrella.
The future of the Forward Foundation is bright, due to the awesome team backing it and the calibre of young sportswomen in our country. We hope to become a nationwide initiative, well known in sporting environments for having a positive and contributing influence on girls' careers. Bring it on!
- Maddy Surie | Founder
