Bathroom manufacturer Roman has continued its sponsorship of the County Durham Community Foundation, with funds going to support the North East Bulls Wheelchair Rugby Club (NE Bulls WRC).
The sports club uses the funds to purchase wheelchairs for its team, which enables new players to take part in the sport. The NE Bulls WRC says that Roman’s support will also help cover the administrative costs of playing the sport, such as tournament entry fees and wheelchair maintenance.
The sport of wheelchair rugby was first created for those with spinal cord injuries who may not be physically functional enough to play other disability sports such as wheelchair basketball.
Roman has sponsored the County Durham Community Foundation for over 15 years, and through the foundation, has managed to support several other local people and initiatives.
Dale Thompson, chair of the foundation, said that the club is a “lifeline” for some of its members, as without it they would be completely inactive. He said: “The NE Bulls would like to make the sport as accessible as possible for those with a disability, and as such, we raise funds on an annual basis in order to limit the financial impact our sport places on our new and existing players, especially during the current financial climate.”
Roman’s chief executive David Osborne commented: “We’re very closely engaged with our local community and are constantly assisting local projects and initiatives. When we heard about the NE Bulls WRC, we were keen to get involved and help the club to continue to recruit new players and support existing players.”
Aside from just supporting local charity endeavours, Roman has also committed itself to sustainability initiatives. Last year, the manufacturer replaced all its company cars with fully electric models, in a bid to further reduce its environmental impact.