Volunteer-run women's basketball club, Sheffield Hatters, have partnered with our technology columnists Hydra Creative ahead of their 60th anniversary.
Sarah McQueen Hatters trustee, and Hydra Creative’s business development manager Keith Tarry tell unLTD’s Rachel Measures all about supporting England’s most successful women’s basketball team.
Sheffield Hatters, formed in the early 1960s by Betty Codona OBE, were the first women’s basketball team in England. Now looking forward to their 60th Anniversary, which is swiftly approaching, their volunteer-run charity continues to provide a space for women of all ages to play.
Embedding a family atmosphere, Betty still chairs the club, joined by her daughters, Vanessa Ellis, as head coach with her experience as the most GB capped player and coach, Loraine Gayle, who assists with the development side of the charity, taking advantage of her experience as basketball development officer for Sheffield City Council. And it doesn’t end there, as Betty’s granddaughter, Georgia Gayle, has also joined the team again.
Hatters trustee Sarah McQueen said: “Georgia played with Hatters since she was eight, all the way up until she was about 19 and then played in America and Spain.”
Instilling this family atmosphere, Sheffield Hatters provide opportunities for players regardless of their age and ability. According to Sarah, they are more than just what happens on the court.
“What we have is a great product, as a sport and a pathway. We have teams from under 10 all the way up to WBBL, the Women’s British Basketball League team. If you don’t have the WBBL team, you don’t have that flagship for girls to be able to see what they can achieve.
“It’s about understanding what the club does for females, finding a family and support mechanism. I know from my experience of growing up that it gives you confidence – it gives you a sense of identity.
“We’ve got countless case studies over the years where basketball has supported females, such as individuals who have self-harmed and were being bullied about their race. They have gone on to thrive on and off the court because of the club environment that makes them feel like they’re achieving. I think that’s something that doesn’t get appreciated in sport.
“A lot of my good friends, and my support mechanism, are from basketball, and being from London, I consider Hatters to be my family in the north.”
Last year, when the news broke the Hatters weren’t going to be in the WBBL, Ryan Daniels, MD of Hydra Creative, reached out to ask if there was anything his company could do to help.
Keith said: “We ended up having a meeting to offer our services and asked the Hatters what they needed help with, and they needed a logo with the 60th anniversary so that was the perfect starting point.
“They are the most successful sports team, and it’s just one of those odd situations where you think, how can they be struggling? Why are they not getting decent funding? And with Ryan being a big basketball fan, we all agreed – we’re doing this, and we’ve gone all in.”
They certainly have – Hydra Creative have employed Betty’s grandson, Tyler, also the Hatters’ 16-18s coach, after it emerged that he had training in videography.
Keith added: “It’s a nice partnership and I think when the website launches, that’s going to kick the Hatters even further into the mainstream.
“It’s great working with Sarah and Betty and we can’t wait for the season to start so we can actually come to some games.”
Sarah reaffirms how pleased she is with the partnership: “They’ve gone above and beyond what our expectations were in terms of working together with the website, as we’ve also created a sponsorship brochure.
“It’s the time, more than anything, that they’ve given us and the skillset, making us look more professional. For us, as a volunteer run organisation, that’s a big deal.”
Sheffield Hatters have also recently announced Westfield Health lifetime president Graham Moore as their honorary president, and he is another example, alongside Hydra Creative, of people that believe in the club.
An event hosted by the Hatters on Wednesday October 20 will be a great opportunity for networking and finding out even more about the club and its people.
“We want to work with lots of organisations,” added Sarah. “It’s good value for money in terms of sponsorship but also if there’s other ways people can support and work with us, we’d love to hear from you.
“The Hatters are a great CSR (corporate social responsibility) opportunity – the value in women’s sport is proven and is a great way to give back to the community.
“And we want to create opportunities to continue this legacy for the next 60 years.”
To celebrate the most successful sport club in Sheffield and their 60th anniversary Sheffield Hatters are hosting a free networking event at Workstation Showroom at 5.30-6.30pm.
To book contact partnerships@sheffieldhatters.com
