Nofoaluma uses holidays to commence aid work in Fiji

RLPA General Manager of Stakeholder Relations Clint Newton will see his passion project come to life over the next week in Fiji.

Newton will lead a group of NRL and NRLW players who will depart for Suva on Friday. Once there they will get the opportunity to take part in aid work while also embarking on a journey of personal development.

Victor Radley, Jayson Bukuya, David Nofoaluma, Junior Tatola, Corban McGregor and Sam Bremner will accompany Newton, sports psychologist Steve Johnson and video content creators Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck and Job Toa on the week-long ″Transformers″ trip.

The former Newcastle Knights forward hopes the experience changes the lens the players look through when they view the world.

"It basically came together in the space of a couple of weeks – I just pulled the trigger on it," Newton said.

"Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith and back yourself, so I started ringing a few different players to see who would be interested to get involved.

"I'm rapt with the group that we've been able to pull together because it's a very diverse group with gender, culture and age – that's was a key factor behind this as well.

"It's something I'm really proud of because it aligns with my values and my purpose so it's very exciting seeing it come to life.

Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith and back yourself

Clint Newton

"This is going to be a life-changing experience for them based on the fact that they're going to be dropped into an environment that's going to provide them an opportunity to develop themselves and others."

The group will assist the community by taking part in construction and renovation, teaching in schools and running sports clinics for students.

Newton said that as much as the trip is about offering support to the people in Suva, it is also about ensuring participants contribute to their own personal development.

"We are looking to transform the participant, not change them, transform them and take them on a bit of a journey," Newton said.

"And by their own individual transformation it will give them to tools to not only transform others but their respective communities when they come back.

"The other key element is that on top of the volunteer work, I'm looping in personal and professional development stuff either in the morning or at the end of each day.

"A lot of the program then becomes a head, heart and body type of experience – this is really focusing on the growth mindset of the individual and challenge their thought process and belief systems via this philanthropic endeavour.

"It's also about giving them the tools to go and activate things that they're passionate about and have a greater impact in society as well."