Shawbrook partners with Saracens Rugby Club to focus on inclusivity

Shawbrook Bank has entered into a multi-year sponsorship partnership with Saracens Rugby Club, with a focus on their shared belief in inclusivity.

The club has been making commitments to address gender inequality within professional sport by investing heavily in its women’s rugby team and its netball team, the Saracens Mavericks.

Shawbrook has taken its own steps to improve inclusion within both the bank and the wider financial services sector, and will work with Saracens to support charitable and grassroots initiatives.

Shawbrook’s Property Finance division increases capacity in lending team

As part of the sponsorship, Shawbrook will also provide ongoing financial support to the Saracens Foundation, which delivers a range of initiatives designed to use sport to bring about positive social change and improve the lives of local people, with a focus on those who often find themselves excluded from participation.

From 17 April 2021, Shawbrook will feature on all three of Saracens’ team kits, and will have a significant presence at its stadiums.

Shawbrook will also have use of a large corporate box for every home game to help enhance existing and develop new relationships across all its specialist markets.

Lucy Wray, chief executive at Saracens, said: “We are delighted to complete this new partnership with Shawbrook.

“We both consistently strive to be the leaders in our respective fields, and we share a deep commitment to diversity and inclusivity.

“Following the recent announcement of the StoneX partnership, this is another great milestone for the Saracens family as we look towards an exciting future.

“We look forward to the rest of this season as we hope to return to some normality and push towards end of season goals across all three Saracens teams. It will be great to have Shawbrook by our sides as we do so.”

John Eastgate, managing director of the property finance division at Shawbrook Bank, added: “There are many synergies between our business and Saracens which make this partnership so exciting.

“We are both ambitious organisations, committed to thinking and acting differently and driving positive change in our industries and wider communities.

“Indeed, our shared focus on having an impact is a key tenant of this partnership.

“The Saracens Foundation does incredible work in support of its local community and this resonated with us at Shawbrook.

“This is why our partnership will go far beyond financial support. We are committed to working with the Saracens Foundation to bolster its efforts whether that’s through volunteering or fundraising.

“The ability to support all three of the Saracen’s teams is another aspect of the partnership that we are particularly proud of.

“Inclusion within sport is incredibly important, and its vital that organisations like ours commit to encourage and support diverse talent.

“We are looking forward to watching the men’s, and women’s rugby sides as well as the netball team on the field and court with Shawbrook on their shirts.

“Shawbrook, since being founded, has been committed to standing out and being different. It’s part of our DNA.

“Our partnership with Saracens will help us to take further strides to make a difference as a business to our customers, intermediary partners and the communities in which we work.”