Northampton Saints Wheelchair Rugby has received significant funding that will allow it to become more self-sufficient and sustainable.
The National Masonic Charity of the Mark Master Masons of England & Wales, the Mark Benevolent Fund, has made £1.7million available to wheelchair rugby clubs across the country, with each able to access up to £50,000 over four years.
Saints have taken advantage of this game-changing opportunity, securing £26,000 which allowed them to purchase a van that will have a transformative impact on their operations.
“Having the van is massive for the programme,” said Saints Wheelchair Rugby head coach Jamie Higgins. “It makes us more self-sufficient. We are not reliant on other areas or other departments of the Club to be able to access transport to manoeuvre kit and run sessions. We have got a lot more freedom around that now.
“When it comes to competitions and tournaments, we can transfer chairs for the players which means players will be able to cut their costs of participating by car sharing.
“Until now they were travelling and taking their own chairs, so you get a maximum of two people in a car. This makes it more sustainable and more green because they are car sharing.”
Jamie Higgins, Saints Wheelchair Rugby head coach
“When you have got 12 players going to tournaments, that’s 12 chairs you need to pack up, toolboxes, tyres, inner tubes – it is a considerable amount of kit that you need to take. Having our own van will massively help us for the competitions, but also for training as well.”
Alongside the purchase of a van, Saints Wheelchair Rugby have also been able to purchase stocks of tyres, inner tubes and kit for the players such as t-shirts and hoodies for the new season – which begins in May with the first Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby 5s tournament in Plymouth.
“It will help create a feeling of belonging to the Club as well for those players,” Higgins added. “And having spare parts for the chairs to keep them in tip-top shape and keep them running for the players is another big thing for us.”
The Mark Benevolent Fund (MBF) made £1.7 million available to wheelchair rugby clubs as part of its ongoing commitment to fostering inclusion and providing opportunities for athletes with disabilities, with a particular focus on the next generation of wheelchair rugby players aiming for the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the Mark Province of Northampton Huntingdon & Bedford, W Bro David Snape said: “The Northampton Huntingdon & Bedford Province of Mark Master Masons is delighted that Saints Wheelchair Rugby has secured one of the major special grants of 2025 from our Mark Benevolent Fund, which will help to support those amazing participants in the sport which they clearly love and enjoy so much.
“The team’s success to date, since their formation only a few years ago, is testament to their superb leadership and the players’ own indomitable spirit and determination to achieve success.
”Our Province is proud of them. We salute them, each and every one, and wish them every success in their future sporting endeavours.”
David Snape
Saints Wheelchair Rugby train at Maplefields Academy in Corby on Wednesdays, with junior sessions (8 to 17 years) from 6.30pm until 7.30pm, and senior sessions (18+) run from 6.30pm until 9pm.
If you have a disability and want to play for Saints Wheelchair Rugby, if you want to volunteer in any way, or if you want to help the club financially, please contact [email protected].
