Up-and-coming footballers have been given a boost with the announcement that one of the county’s leading accountancy practices will be its front-of-shirt sponsor for the next two seasons.
J Sweeney Accountants will sponsor the Under-14s Girls squad after agreeing a sponsorship deal with Northampton Town FC Community Trust, the charitable arm of the club. The trust works at grassroots level to support and develop local communities, underpinned by its relationship with the professionals at Northampton Town FC.
Around 165 women and girls play football for Northampton Town Women and Girls each week, reflecting the increasing appeal and interest in the women’s game. Throughout the grassroots game, the support of sponsors from the local business community is invaluable.
Phillip Smith, CEO NTFC Community Trust, said:
“We are delighted to have J Sweeney Accountants on board as a shirt sponsor. People think there is plenty of money in football but that’s not the case at the grassroots level and we rely on the backing of sponsors to help us keep our sports programmes running.
“The women’s game has really taken off in recent years and we have a healthy women and girls set-up. Having key sponsors on board is integral to us being a part of that, and seeing the women’s game grow.
“From the sponsor’s point of view, they have the opportunity to raise their profile and achieve CSR goals. We work closely with anyone coming on board to help them identify the ways we can help them gain increased exposure, depending on the specifics of their business, whether that be from their logo on the match shirt all the way through to collaborative ideas and programmes.”
James Sweeney, Director at J Sweeney Accountants, said:
“We are delighted to be sponsoring the Northampton Town FC girls team for the coming seasons and extend our support to Phill and the rest of the team at Northampton Town FC Community Trust.”
As well as delivering female-centred programmes across 11 teams from Under 8s to the Northampton Town Senior Ladies team, NTFC Community Trust also provides support across three further areas:
Education: working with primary and secondary schools across the county including curriculum and non-curriculum classes and clubs to support learning and wellbeing outside the classroom
Health: engaging with participants and patients in a non-clinical setting to support a wide range of physical and mental health issues throughout a person’s lifespan, from childhood obesity to alcohol and drug misuse through to active ageing
Disability and Inclusion: covering a wide range of physical and mental disabilities, including learning difficulties, autism and sight impairment, as well as a structured disability player talent identification programme and running the Northampton Town Multi-Disabled Football Club.
To find out more about sponsorship opportunities through NTFC Community Trust, call 01604 683726, email community@ntfc.co.uk or visit Northampton Town FC Community Trust.
