Cumbria based wheelchair rugby club, Penrith Pumas WRC, has been awarded a £10,000 cash grant thanks to a fundraising scheme from pub company and brewer Greene King.
Greene King IPA’s donation scheme, known as Proud to Pitch In, recently celebrated its one year anniversary by offering one club a one off grant of £10,000, up from the usual £3,000 Proud to Pitch In grant.
Penrith Pumas WRC, founded in 2021, applied for the grant last year with the aim of expanding their existing facilities & equipment, so more people can get involved in the sport.
With 30+ members across Cumbria, Penrith Pumas is open to a mix of abilities and disabilities – with participants ranging from experienced wheelchair rugby players to total novices.
For the club, the cost of purchasing a single rugby wheelchair can be upwards of three thousand pounds, not including maintenance costs – so the incredible £10,000 lump sum from Proud to Pitch In will go a long way towards providing new equipment.
As a result of the ongoing cost of living crisis, the Penrith Pumas need to do everything they can to make the sport as accessible as possible, including subsidising travel to events, and helping with costs for overnight stay for games.
Megan Pettit, Founder and Managing Director of the Penrith Pumas said:
“Wheelchair Rugby is such an amazing sport as it allows people of all ages, abilities and physiques to compete on a level playing field.
“The Penrith Pumas was set up to provide locals with a fun, inclusive and exciting sport in Cumbria, however the current cost of living crisis is making it even harder financially to keep the sport accessible to all.
“We’re so incredibly grateful for the donation from Greene King IPA’s Proud to Pitch In scheme – the money will go straight back into the community and we’re so excited to share the news with our members.”
Emma Hibbert, Head of Marketing for Greene King IPA said:
“When reviewing the applications for our anniversary donation scheme, the submission from the Penrith Pumas really resonated with us. Their dedication to supporting the local community and ensuring there’s a role for anyone that wishes to join, whether that’s playing the sport itself or volunteering, officiating or even refereeing, spoke volumes.
“Their offering of an inclusive, accessible and fun sport is clearly central to the Cumbria community, and beyond, and they thoroughly deserve the £10,000 grant.
“To date, over 160 local clubs have been supported by Proud to Pitch in, and over £380,000 has been granted to sports clubs across the UK, funded from the sales of Greene King IPA. We are aiming to give away £1 million to clubs before the end of 2023, so we encourage clubs to apply and share how we can support.”
Greene King is donating 10p from every pint of Greene King IPA and 50p from every 4x500ml can pack sold* to support the Proud To Pitch In scheme.
