A youth football team in Solihull will be stepping out in style next season after landing a sponsorship deal with a leading haulage provider, International Forwarding Limited (IFL).
The under-8s team, who play for Kingshurst Sporting Club FC, have been freshly kitted out in their own teamwear for the upcoming 2018/19 season, with their manager Matthew Graham the driving force behind the sponsorship.
Mr Graham has worked at International Forwarding – which is a member of Palletways, Europe’s largest and fastest growing express palletised freight network – for the past five years as a driver and recently decided to approach his bosses to ask about sponsorship for the young team.
Rob Pike, managing director at International Forwarding, said: “When Matt asked if we would be interested in sponsoring the team to get a new kit, we didn’t hesitate to say yes. It’s always a great pleasure to give something back to the community in which we work, and to support local children. Matt is held in high regard by everyone at International Forwarding and we’re delighted to be part of his team’s journey as they head into the under-9s league later this year.”
Kingshurst Sporting Club FC is run by volunteers and helps hundreds of young players to develop their football and life skills through regular training and soccer camps. The club has 247 players across its 22 boy’s and girl’s teams, with two additional adult teams.
Of seeing his team in the new kit for the first time, Matt Graham said: “I’m really proud of how professional the lads look in their new kit and they think it’s fantastic too. Sponsoring the team is a great opportunity for us to give a little something back to the community and support grass-roots football.”
Gary Leake, club secretary at Kingshurst Sporting Club FC, added: “The boys are so excited about their new kit and I’m sure this will boost their confidence for the upcoming season. Our youth teams rely heavily on parents to cover the running costs through subs but this only covers the bare minimum.
“We need sponsors like International Forwarding to secure the club’s future as they enable us to invest in our volunteer coaches and guarantee that our children get the development they need. We’re very hopeful that this is just the beginning of our journey with International Forwarding.”
Since launching in 1989, International Forwarding has gained a reputation as one of the UK’s most reliable and trusted independent freight forwarders and they continue to develop across a wide range of freight and logistics services. The company became a member of Palletways in 2002 to enhance the business and enable customers to benefit from efficient high-quality logistics services into UK and Europe. International Forwarding is a regular ‘Palletways Platinum Club’ member in recognition of its first-class customer service.
International Forwarding is one of over 114 independent transport providers that are part of the Palletways UK network. They benefit from shared expertise, technology and resources from within the group to deliver consignments of palletised freight to market faster and more cost effectively than ever before. The Palletways Group comprises 450+ depots and 20 hub operations, through which it provides collection and distribution services across 20 European countries, including the UK.
