EUROPCAR PARTNERS WITH MATT HAMPSON FOUNDATION

Added by Love Business East Midlands | 17 November 2023

Long Wheelbase van and plan of fundraising activities set to help Leicester-based sports charity deliver rehabilitation support

Further extending its Leicestershire community and rugby connections – following its sponsorship of Leicester Tigers – Europcar Mobility Group UK has partnered with the Matt Hampson Foundation, the charity that aims to help young sportspeople after serious sporting injuries. The donation of a long wheelbase van for the next 12 months will help the Melton Mowbray based Foundation move people and equipment around the region as part of its rehabilitation activities. Europcar will also be running a programme of practical help and fundraising activity to further support the cause.

Former England Under 21s Rugby Union player, Matt Hampson OBE, started the Foundation after an accident in training in 2005 left him with life changing injuries. The Foundation aims to inspire and support young people seriously injured through sport and counts Mike Tindall MBE as its patron, as well as a roll call of professional rugby players, other sports people and celebrities as its ambassadors.

The partnership with the Matt Hampson Foundation is a natural extension to Europcar’s links with the Leicestershire community and Rugby Union, as Mark Newberry, Europcar Mobility Group UK Commercial Director explained:

“The Matt Hampson Foundation is well respected for its important and inspirational work and we were keen to mobilise our own resources to help the Foundation in the day to day work it does. We felt that the 12-month loan of a long wheelbase van made a lot of sense. 

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to support the vital work of the Foundation with the van, and hope this marks the start of a great supportive relationship. Helping the Foundation with its mobility is core to our purpose and theirs. We are also very much looking forward to getting involved with the many wonderful fundraising events on the Matt Hampson calendar and are planning our own charity days and fundraising activities to raise more funds and help the Foundation in a practical way.”

“Getting people and equipment around the region is one of the big challenges we face,” added Matt Hampson. “It not only impacts our funds; it adds to operational headaches in terms of vehicle maintenance and upkeep. We are, therefore, incredibly grateful to Europcar for making the donation of this vehicle for the next year.  It will give us the ability to get equipment to the people who need it as well as ensure we can maximise our fundraising opportunities.”

The Europcar team is putting together a programme of ongoing support activities for the Matt Hampson Foundation, beginning with a company-wide treasure hunt where entry donations will be match-funded by the business. ‘A day to help out’ events are also being planned, during which staff volunteers from across the Europcar business will help the Foundation with gardening and cleaning or use other skills they may have to complete required odd jobs.

The Foundation’s ‘Get Busy Living’ Centre provides holistic support that is key to helping people overcome mental and physical challenges, with a state-of-the-art gym, specialist disability personal training and highly experienced physiotherapists. The Foundation also aims to help those seriously injured through sport and their families through a support network sharing knowledge and experience.

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