Saints Wheelchair Rugby have been backed by the Saints Supporters Club (SSC) with a £1,000 donation for the 2023/24 season.
A rise in membership has seen a second ‘Wanderers’ team introduced this summer, but that increased popularity has also led to a rise in costs for facility hire, equipment and league fees.
Step forward the SSC, who kindly donated £1,000 towards running costs as one half of a joint donation to Northampton Saints Foundation for the same amount.
Saints Wheelchair Rugby, which attracts players from the Northamptonshire area and as far afield as Woburn, Huntingdon and Wigan, are reigning WR5s Premiership Champions. The Club includes players with a wide range of disabilities and conditions including fibromyalgia, spinal injuries, amputees, Multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral palsy.
The squad is currently on a break from competitive games but return to WR5s action in August, while training session numbers continue to grow at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Harlestone Road.
“It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to increase our membership numbers and start the Wanderers side,” said Jamie Higgins, Saints Wheelchair Rugby coach. “But this has led to a doubling of our league fees and other associated costs.
“Our membership fees only go some way towards covering that, so to receive a donation of £1,000 is absolutely massive for us and all of our members are very appreciative of this fantastic gesture from the Saints Supporters Club.”
Jamie Higgins, Saints Wheelchair Rugby coach
The SSC has also generously donated £1,000 to Northampton Saints Foundation and its Sponsor a Student scheme.
The scheme is changing lives as it guides young people who have struggled with mainstream education to make better life choices through 12 months of learning and guiding them on their pathway to employment.
Catherine Deans, Managing Director at Northampton Saints Foundation, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Saints Supporters Club for their support and belief in our ambition.
“With the SSC’s generous donation to our Sponsor a Student scheme, we can continue to give young people the chance of a positive future.”
Catherine Deans, Managing Director at Northampton Saints Foundation
Saints Supporters Club has been operating for decades and is most commonly known for providing transport for away matches. In recent years it has also provided generous donations to causes associated with the Club, particularly the Academy set-up.
Supporters Club Chair, Jim Gladwin, added: “Saints Wheelchair Rugby and the Sponsor a Student scheme are two extremely worthy recipients of donations from the SSC.
“Both are having a massive impact on peoples’ lives and we hope our financial support will continue to allow them to go from strength to strength.”
