Rank Group gifts football sponsorship to charity

Rank Group has gifted its sponsorship of English third-tier football club Ipswich Town to the Carers Trust as part of its charitable efforts initiative.

The UK casino operator has been afforded branding on Ipswich’s home and away jerseys since January 2018, with the company’s Magical Vegas site being advertised, in a deal that is understood to be worth in the region of £2m to the Suffolk club.

From the start of the 2020/21 season, which also marks the final year of Rank’s partnership with Ipswich, the Carers Trust logo will appear on club shirts.

As part of the deal, local carers will also be offered complimentary tickets to Ipswich home games and various fundraising drives will be launched to support the charity.

Ipswich will also include a ‘Thank You NHS’ message on the back of shirts as it looks to support those working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic.

James Boord, Rank CMO, said: “Having their name on the front of the Ipswich Town first-team shirts will help spotlight the fantastic work Carers Trust does in supporting unpaid carers locally and across the whole country.”

Carers Trust CEO Gareth Howells added: “Unpaid carers make an immense contribution to society but all too often that contribution is forgotten. We are incredibly grateful to Rank for donating its sponsorship of Ipswich Town to us.

“It means that every time the club plays with the Carers Trust logo on the shirt next season, unpaid carers in Suffolk and right across the UK will know that the care they provide to family members is recognised, respected and valued,” he concluded.