A Wiltshire company specialising in mobility equipment has agreed a two-year partnership with Swindon Town FC Community Foundation, helping support disability sport and community projects across the area.
Calne-based Urathon has become the main partner of the Foundation’s Disability Programme, which provides regular opportunities for people with disabilities and additional needs to take part in sport and social activities.
The partnership will support weekly sessions for people with Down’s syndrome, learning difficulties, mental health conditions and other disabilities at Foundation Park, the charity’s purpose-built multi-sports facility.
It will also see Urathon get involved in several of the Foundation’s other community projects, including activities aimed at tackling loneliness and helping people remain connected.
Among these are the Memory Café, which supports people living with dementia, and the Staying Connected group, which provides opportunities for people who may otherwise experience social isolation.
The company will also support SEND multi-sport holiday camps and festivals delivered in conjunction with the Premier League.
Supporting the Community Beyond Football
Although Swindon Town is best known for what happens on the pitch, its Community Foundation works with people of different ages and backgrounds throughout the year.
Its programmes cover education, health, disability sport and social inclusion, reaching thousands of participants annually.
For Urathon, which designs and manufactures mobility equipment, daily living aids and specialist medical products, the partnership is a chance to support people who may already benefit from the types of equipment it produces.
The company has also recently renewed its sponsorship of Wiltshire teenage wheelchair athlete and Paralympic hopeful Toby Richardson.
In another local initiative, Urathon donated shower chairs to a charity supporting people recovering from strokes.
A Partnership Close to Home
Lucy Carson, Managing Director of Urathon, said the decision to support the Foundation was a natural fit for the business.
“As a company rooted right here in Wiltshire, Swindon Town is very much our local team, and we are so impressed with the work of the community foundation, which is an ideal fit for us,” she said.
“We design products focused on independence and quality of life every day, so seeing the dedication of the foundation – especially through initiatives like the Disability Programme – is very close to home.
“We are really excited about this partnership, and to let more people know that there is a mobility aids company right on their doorstep.”
Creating More Opportunities for Local People
The agreement has also been welcomed by Swindon Town FC Community Foundation, which hopes the relationship will help strengthen its existing programmes and create further opportunities for people across the area.
Darren Howell, Partnership and Strategic Manager at the Foundation, said: “Swindon Town FC Community Foundation are very excited to have secured Urathon as our primary partner for the Disability Programme.
“Urathon’s commitment to improving independence and quality of life aligns closely with the work we do every day, particularly through our disability, inclusion and social connection programmes.
“We’re really looking forward to working alongside Lucy and the Urathon team to create meaningful opportunities for local people and strengthen the support available across our community.”
The two-year agreement begins immediately, with joint community events and outreach activities planned over the coming months.
For those involved in the Foundation’s disability and inclusion programmes, the partnership brings another local business into the work already taking place at Foundation Park and across the wider Swindon community.
