Leading home assistance provider HomeServe has donated money to the Walsall FC Disabled Supporters' Association to enable them to buy wheelchair ponchos to protect fans from the elements on matchdays.
The ponchos were handed over to disabled supporters before the game with Accrington Stanley at the Banks’s Stadium on Saturday.
The donation is part of HomeServe’s ongoing commitment to the club and its fans, and comes as the UK weather is expected to take a turn for the worse after a sizzling summer.
“We know, rain or shine, Walsall’s fans will come out in force to support the club,” said John Greaves, HomeServe’s Brand Director. “And we hope these ponchos help provide disabled supporters with some much-needed protection from the elements as we enter colder weather of autumn and winter this year.”
Ian Buckingham, Chairperson of the DSA, added: "On behalf of the Walsall FC Disabled Supporters' Association, we want to thank both HomeServe and our fellow Saddlers fans for their exceptional generosity, with donations totalling more than £1,400.
“Through these donations, we’ve been able to purchase 15 ponchos, with 12 being gifted to regularly attending wheelchair supporters and the remaining three will be available for use by away supporters or Saddlers fans who come to matches occasionally.
“The funds we raised exceeded all our expectations. As a group, we’re always open to hearing from disabled fans and their carers or family members so we can identify other ways in which their matchday experience can be improved.”
As well as the donation, HomeServe sponsors the HomeServe Stand at the Banks's Stadium and the front of shirt, and this year celebrates 25 years of business in Walsall.
The partnership with Walsall FC, which runs until the end of the 2021/22 season, will take HomeServe’s support to eight years, making it the firm’s longest-ever community sponsorship commitment.
For more information about the Walsall FC Disabled Supporters' Association, visit www.walsallfcdsa.co.uk
