GLOUCESTER Rugby are used to repaying their loyal supporters with blistering displays on the pitch, but prop Dan Murphy insists there is now another way to give back with the launch of the Aviva Community Fund, Ryan Walters writes.

A nationwide initiative launched on Tuesday, the Aviva Community Fund offers support and funding of up to £25,000 to causes and projects that are put forward by the public.

On top of his displays for the Cherry and Whites, Murphy has a close affiliation with Gloucestershire Young Carers.

The charity offers support to several groups of up to 20 children across Gloucestershire with each group requiring around £5,000 each year to stay open.

And 29-year-old Murphy is hoping that by submitting a cause close to his heart for support from the ACF group that others will follow his example.

“The Aviva Community Fund is a great thing. A lot of charities run hand to mouth, they are literally working on what they get so a big lump sum of money could make a huge change to a lot of charities,” said Murphy.

“It offers people a great opportunity to put forward a charity close to them. We have a great community here and we have great fans that come and support us and so for me it is a good chance to support them back.

“I’m involved with Gloucestershire Young Carers and they give a bit of respite to young children who have caring responsibilities at home.

“That may be other siblings or parents that need extra help, it is just a little bit of time to come away and interact with other children in similar situations.

“Sometimes they are in situations where they have to grow up too soon because of these difficulties but these groups help them come away from that and almost forget those stresses and let them be a kid again, which is great.

“Each group costs £5,000 a year to stay open and so any part of the £25,000 Aviva are putting up would help a lot of people - a group can be up to 15 or 20 people in size so that money would touch a lot of people.”

Entertaining a lucky few children from the charity at Kingsholm last week, it was clear Murphy thoroughly enjoys doing anything he can to support a charity that resonates with him. To see him talking about the charity please click here.

And he believes the general public can do exactly the same by going online and giving a charity the opportunity to receive some much-needed funding.

“It is something that I enjoy doing. To help out with the awareness is important but putting in those hours with the kids to give them a bit of interaction is also vital,” he added.

“At the beginning of the season they came in and did a presentation as one of the charities Gloucester Rugby were going to support that year.

“My parents foster a couple of children and my middle brother is a primary care worker so this sort of thing is close to home and something my family do and I just went up at the end and said if there was anything else I could do to help then I would be more than happy to.

“People should really look to take advantage of the Aviva Community Fund and help something that they have an affiliation to.”

Dan Murphy was speaking about his support of Gloucestershire Young Carers at the Aviva Community Fund launch, a nationwide initiative from Aviva, title sponsor of Aviva Premiership Rugby, which offers support and funding to causes close to your heart. Visit aviva.co.uk/community-fund