Northampton Saints Foundation can today announce that it has been successful in securing National Lottery Heritage Funding to further explore the history behind Edgar Mobbs’ Sportsman’s Battalion.
The story of the heroic Saint #281, Edgar Mobbs, has been well documented – but 264 other sportsmen from Northampton also joined the fight in World War One, with only 85 returning. We want to know more about those 264 men.
With the help of a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, 20 volunteers will uncover the untold stories of the battalion, recording their histories, exploring their backgrounds and achievements and their impact on their local community. The whole team is excited to see what the project holds.
It’s vital to the community and the Club that the history of Northampton is recorded; Northampton Saints has always been passionate about remembering the individuals who have brought the Club to where it is today, and now the Foundation is thoroughly looking forward to this new project.
“We are excited to see what we can discover about these 264 men, many of whom have unfortunately been forgotten,” said Claire Jones, the Foundation’s new project manager for the Heritage Lottery venture.
“The commitment they made to Northampton and to their country will forever be remembered, but now we endeavour to remember the individuals too.
“Ensuring that Northampton Saints’ 130-year history and heritage is preserved and passed down to future generations is of the upmost importance to us, and we’re hoping that we’ll soon be able to educate local people on the full history of the Mobbs Battalion alongside that.”
As part of the bid, Saints Foundation has also committed to welcome 900 schoolchildren to visit the Foundation Centre for a day to enjoy a rugby session with the Club’s community coaches, and a stadium tour which will incorporate the history of Saints and the role Edgar Mobbs and his Battalion played within it.
The day will finish with a drama session so the children can learn about Edgar Mobbs, the make-up of the Battalion, and the part they played in World War One.
If you would like your school to participate on one of these days, please contact Foundation staff on 01604 599152 or email [email protected].
We need your help! If you would like to volunteer to help bring the stories of the Sportman’s Battalion to life, please email H[email protected] with your contact details.