A wheelchair rugby team has been donated new specialist chairs to help them compete against the best teams in the country.
Crawley Jets received six specially designed wheelchairs, to use as part of their training and games.
The wheelchairs, donated by People’s Partnership, are worth around £20,000.
The club, first formed in 2019, will now be able to continue competing across the UK, including in a Great British Wheelchair Rugby league in the summer.
Mark Keeley, manager of Crawley Jets, said: “We’re hugely grateful to People’s Partnership, as its donation means our players are not only able to train regularly but can also continue to compete against other teams across the whole of the UK.
“Everybody involved with the Jets are volunteers, meaning the support of great local businesses such as People’s Partnership is vital if we are to continue serving our community.”
The wheelchair rugby club, run in partnership with Crawley RFC, train weekly at the K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley as well as competing in friendly and development festivals in the UK.
Wheelchair rugby has continued to increase in popularity as a paralympic sport, with Team GB winning a gold medal at the Tokyo 2021 games.
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Patrick Heath-Lay, chief executive of People’s Partnership, said: “As a local Crawley based organisation, with deep roots in our community, we are delighted that we have been able to support the Crawley Jets Wheelchair Rugby Club.
“Enabling the club to buy their new chairs will support them to raise their profile, expand their team and make the sport even more accessible to people in the local community. This resonates strongly with our purpose and values as a company to make a difference for people.”
The wheelchairs were presented to the team on Monday, March 6, as part of The People’s Pension, a scheme which has helped more than six million people across the country.
Crawley Jets now have a total of ten adapted wheelchairs, meaning that they have enough for a full team to compete in the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby 5’s league.
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