Foundation
Who We Are
The Bradford Bulls Community Foundation is headed up by a Board of Trustees with a diverse range of both skills and experience to support the development and longevity of its work within Bradford and its surrounding communities.
Trustees include:
- Ryan Duckett (Bradford Bulls CEO),
- John Mason (Former West Yorkshire Police Officer),
- Stuart Duffy (Team Manager and Media Manager, Bradford Bulls),
- Dave Jones (Dual Head Teacher, Holybrook and Parklands Primary, Former North England Head Teacher of the Year)
- Phil Barker (Assistant Director of Sport, Bradford District Council),
- Paul Goodman (Bradford Photography Museum, Museum Collections),
- Simon Large (Chief Executive, Bradford District Care Trust)
Nine full-time & 1 part-time staff currently sit under The Bradford Bulls Community Foundation, as well as utilising many Volunteers within its diverse provisions.
Full Time Staff
Gareth Cook - Community Foundation Manager
I am currently the General Manager of the Bradford Bulls Foundation having previously worked at local rivals Leeds! My role includes the day to day running of the Foundation and raising funds to continue the great work the team deliver. I have been involved with Rugby League for 20 years, starting as a junior at Milford Marlins Under 8's. I am more affectionately known in the community as ‘Cookie'. Away from rugby league I enjoy meeting with friends and going out with my wife and baby daughter.
Favourite Players: Bulls player- Heath L'Estrange or Brett Kearney. All time Darren Lockyer, Anthony Mundine and Brad Fittler.
Favourite Food: Pizza (As much meat as possible) or a Sunday Dinner!
Favourite Quote: "We will always chase perfection, knowing we cannot catch it because nothing is perfect. But in chasing perfection we will achieve excellence"
Favourite Song: Born to Run, Bruce Springstein/ Amazed, Lonestar (My wedding song)
Sporting Heroes: Boxer, Rueben Carter (The Hurricane), Lance Armstrong, Francois Pienaar.
Favourite Joke: Man with 2 left feet walks into a shoe shop and buys a pair of Flip Flips.
Please Click Here to email Gareth
Richard Tate - Community Rugby League Coach
I am currently the Community Rugby League Coach for South Bradford. I started at club in 2008 on Scholarship Scheme. I applied and successfully became full-time CRLC in June 2010 having previously worked for Leeds City Council as Rugby League Development Coach.
I am a Level 2 qualified coach in Rugby League and currently working towards Level 3.
I recently won the volunteer award ‘2011 Leeds Area Coach of Year' for hard work and commitment to Hunslet Parkside ARLFC. Played at Hunslet Parkside ARLFC and brief spell at Hunslet Hawks RL.
Away from Rugby League like to spend time with brothers and mates, and big Cinema geek.
Favourite Players: Bulls - Heath L'Estrange. All Time - Jason Robinson.
Favourite Food: Sunday Roast and Chinese.
Favourite Films: Remember The Titans, The Replacements, Man On Fire, 300, The Hangover & The Hangover 2, The Inbetweeners Movie.
Favourite Song: Dakota - Stereophonics, White Flag - Dido.
Hero: Grandad.
Favourite Quote: "In the end, the game comes down to one thing; man against man. May the best man win."
Favourite Joke: A police officer stops a man and asks him for his license.
Officer: It says that you need to be wearing glasses.
Man: Well, I do have contacts.
Officer: I couldn't care less who you know! You're still getting a ticket!
Please Click Here to email Richard
Adam Payne - Community Rugby League Coach
I have been with the club with the community foundation for just over a year now having previously held a role as a Tutor/ Community Coach at Wakefield College. Whilst in a volunteer capacity, I was involved in coaching at Lock Lane ARLFC, and on both the Wakefield Wildcats Scholarship Scheme and Service Area. Currently working towards his UKCC Level 3 Rugby League Coaching Qualification, as well has having a Degree in Sports and Certificate in tutoring in Sport.
Favourite Player: Brad Drew
Favourite Food: Chinese Food
Favourite Quote: Hare of the Dog is the only Cure
Favourite Song: Beautiful by Akon
Hero: Not really a hero but had a big impact on my life - My old PE Teacher Mr Jenkins
Favourite Joke: How do you make a sausage Roll???? Give it a push.
Please Click Here to email Adam
Duane Straugheir - Community Rugby League Coach
I am the Bradford Bulls community rugby league coach for west Bradford, having joined the club as a player in 2005 from amateur club Normanton knights. I left the Bulls' football department in 2010 to join the York city knights but I have been on board working in the community department at the club since 2008.
I have a long standing background in sport, having achieved a level 2 qualification in gym exercise and fitness instructing and a level 2 coaching badge in rugby league.
Favourite Player at touch n pass: Leigh "Beastie" Beattie (Bulls' kit man/grounds man)
Favourite Food: chicken, potatoes, carrots and plenty of greens with lots of gravy!
Favourite Quote: ‘'It's not about the Bull in the fight. It's about the fight in the Bull''
Favourite Song: Water Colour by Pendulum
Sporting hero: The Rock
Favourite joke: A chip walks into the bar and says to the bartender "Hey, could I get a lemonade please?"
The bartender looks at him shaking his head and say "No, we don't serve food here"
Please Click Here to email Duane
Nigel O'Flaherty-Johnson - Youth Inclusion Co-ordinator
I have worked in Rugby League Development for the past 20 years. This is my second stint at the Bulls having previously worked as Development Manager. I held the same role at local rivals Leeds Rhinos and also held the role of National Development Manager for Ireland. Away from the Bulls, I am also a full-time foster carer. I am hoping to bring a wealth of experience to this, in what is a new role for me.
Favourite Players: Bulls - Heath L'Estrange or Matt Diskin. All Time - Ellery Hanley.
Favourite Food: A good Steak.
Favourite Song: Open Up the Door by Richard Hawley
Sporting Hero: Muhammad Ali
Favourite Quote: "Getting Old is when your Dreams become regrets."
Favourite Joke: What's E.T. short for???? Because he's got little legs!
Please Click Here to email Nigel
John Downes - Heritage Officer
Born in Bradford and brought up in the Low Moor area, I have been a supporter of the club all my life. I spent 25 years as a teacher in Bradford and Batley before working at the Bulls in the Community Department from the beginning of Super league. I've also had a short spell working for Yorkshire Water. Happily married, I live in the Odsal area with my wife, Anne and our two cats, Mickey and Benny
Favourite Player : Present Bulls- Heath L'Estrange, Past Northern - Ellery Hanley, World - Wally Lewis
Favourite Food : Anne's Lasagne, Rhubarb crumble
Favourite Quote: " If you want to change some things in your life, you've got to change some things in your life."
Favourite Song: Leila-Eric Clapton, American Woman- Lenny Kravitz
Sporting hero - Wayne Bennett
Favourite joke: Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Or - Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
Please Click Here to email John Downes
Martin Bass - Heritage Officer
I love and, have tried my hand at many sports, sadly without much success, before progressing to an anorak. I've followed the Bradford club for more years than I admit to remembering, being involved with the supporters club and the Vice President's Association. I joined the Community team as a volunteer in 2006. For twenty-odd years I worked as a freelance engineer before joining a large pharmaceutical firm as a project engineer. I'm currently working on the Odsal Past Times project.
Favourite player: I don't really have a favourite player; rugby league relies on team work.
Favourite food: Most things providing the ingredients are fresh.
Favourite Quote: Onward and upward.
Favourite Song: The Impossible Dream.
Sporting Hero: Too many to name. Probably, at the moment, Steve Prescott.
Favourite Joke: A New Zealander walking along the road with a sheep under each arm.
He meets another New Zealander who says "you sheerin' mate?" and the first guy replies "naw, they're all mine"
Please Click Here to email Martin
Sharron Bright - Community Foundation Education Officer
I am the Bradford Bulls Foundation Education Officer having previously worked at the club for 7 years, setting up and managing the Stampede Study Support Centre based at Odsal.
My current role includes devising and delivering programmes of study for children and schools. As a fan of the club, the aspect I enjoy most about my role is being able to use the Bradford Bulls as a theme for learning but I also enjoy creating ways of making opportunities for children's learning more dynamic and exciting. I find working with the children in schools the most rewarding aspect of my job.
I am a lifelong Bradford Northern and Bulls fan, having watched them since my granddad first brought me to games when I was 3 - though at that age, I only used to come for the halftime pop, crisps and a milky coffee!
Favourite Players: Bradford Northern: Karl Fairbank, Keith Mumby, Paul Newlove. Bradford Bulls: Steve McNamara, James Lowes and my favourite rugby pin-up of the 1980's, Paul Medley
Favourite Food: Grilled tuna-preferably on the barbecue in the middle of summer!
Favourite Films: Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Moulin Rouge, Goonies, Jarhead
Favourite Quote: What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?
Favourite Song: Mr Brightside by the Killers
Favourite Joke: How does Bob Marley like his doughnuts? Wi jammin
Volunteers
The Bradford Bulls Community Foundation views the role of volunteers as essential to both its function and development as a community organisation and also to our local community, as such maximising the use, skills and effectiveness of all its volunteers.
John Mason - Foundation Trustee & Secretary
John, another fan of the club since the early 1950’s, first became involved with the Community Development Department at the start of this decade through his role as Youth and Schools Liaison Officer for West Yorkshire Police. On the inception of the Bradford Bulls Community Foundation in 2004, John was appointed as a Trustee for the Charity and on his retirement in 2005, his active volunteering commenced.
Still currently serving the Foundation as Trustee, John's volunteer capacity covers a number of highly successful community activities relating to the club's heritage, most notably a lead involvement in the charity's two successful Heritage Lottery Fund Bids.
Please Click Here to email John Mason
Johnny Priestley - Heritage Volunteer
Johnny, again a long-standing supporter of the club has been a Bradford Northern/ Bulls fan since he can remember, bringing daughter Diane as a child to games at Odsal. A pattern which has now followed suit with grandchildren Liam and Niall regularly attending and being registered Ball Boys with the Club!
Since retiring from the steel industry Johnny has actively pursued his main hobby of Crown Green Bowls and joined the Foundation as a Heritage Volunteer in 2009 with a primary focus on the archiving and cataloguing of the Club's historic artefacts.
Last, but certainly in no way least we also have a fabulous group of Junior Volunteers who assist in various aspects of the Bull's Community Foundations work, including Holiday/Matchday provision, Administration and Social Media P.R.