SEP is happy to announce another local community support/sponsorship project!
At our new home in Reddish (near Stockport in Greater Manchester), we are right next to the Stockport ‘Sport for All Centres’ North West Regional Basketball Centre which is based at Reddish Vale High School. ‘Sport for All Centres’ have a mission to deliver mass participation sports programmes through an ethos of ‘Sport for All’, supported by values covering people and their respect and development, inclusiveness, communication and partnerships with schools, clubs and sports development agencies. SFAC is at the forefront of developing high quality accessible mass participation and provides safe environments for children to be a part of regular sports programmes.
Within the framework, SEP is sponsoring Stockport Falcons 14-16s boys, having purchased the kits for the whole team.
Our MD, Rob Bell, who is a long-term supporter of the Manchester Giants top-tier BBL team and also plays (or attempts to!) with the ‘MBA 40’ over 40s group, understands the value of such programmes. He comments,
“Having started playing basketball with an over-40s group only four years ago, I really look forward to the weekly sessions, not only for my physical but my mental wellbeing; being surrounded by people who advise and support my own development in something I have never done before is really good too. Better yet, no-one is too harsh when I do something daft!
“Therefore to be able to support one of the young teams playing at our local SFA centre, coached by a co-fan of the Giants and respected MBA40 team-mate, is an honour. Hopefully, SEP being able to supply quality kits gives the youngsters a good sense of identity when training with and playing for the Falcons, at a critical time in their own personal development. Maybe some of them will be able to go on to develop into senior leagues in the UK and beyond – they certainly looked impressive at the training session I attended last week!”
Stockport Falcons play under the Stockport Basketball Club banner (stockportbasketballclub.co.uk), a club started in 1963 by local Jim Bennison (a huge part of basketball in Stockport for more than 60 years) who was awarded an MBE by the late Queen in 2013. The aims of the club are to encourage discipline, commitment, and integrity both on and off the Court.
Rob Tinkler, Stockport Falcons’ coach, said,
“It’s fantastic to see local businesses like SEP supporting youth basketball in the area. Basketball is the 2nd most popular community sport in the country and it’s sponsorship that enables teams like Stockport Falcons U16 boys’ team to compete in national league basketball by providing some financial support. The new kits for the season are fantastic and the boys are over the moon with them! Stockport Basketball Club has a long history of not only youth basketball development but developing values, commitment, teamwork, sportsmanship and work ethic which they will take into adult life and it wouldn’t be possible without the help of local businesses like SEP. It will be a tough season for the squad with half of the team playing up a year, but I know they will work hard and give 100%. LET’S GO STOCKPORT!”
Watch this space to see how the team gets on…