Essex Rebels headline sponsor renews for second year

The Essex Rebels compete in the Women’s British Basketball League and Men’s Division 1 National Basketball League.

It’s the second successive season that Elavon has been the Rebels’ major sponsor.

Hemlata Narasimhan, President of Elavon Merchant Services, says, “Not only do the Essex Rebels have one of the best university basketball programmes in the UK, the Rebels players are also role models in their communities and are inspiring younger people to pursue both their academic and sporting passions.

This spirit of giving back resonates strongly with our core values at Elavon and we couldn’t be more pleased to align ourselves with the Rebels.”

Simon Lister, Business Development Manager at the University of Essex, said: “Sponsorship is everything. It makes the difference between having the Essex Rebels Programme and not – it’s that important to us. Elavon is changing lives.”

The Rebels have been making a difference on and off the court since the club’s inaugural season in 2018/19.

After an undefeated run, the women’s student team took home the 2022 BUCS Championship title (British Universities and Colleges Sports).

This success has been equally matched by that of Rebels Play, a club for children aged 5-14, and the Essex Rebels Juniors offering skills and confidence building for those aged 12-18.

Then there’s the real game-changing Rebels Roadshow schools engagement programme, where Rebels players go into primary schools to host assemblies, run training classes or after-school clubs and conduct skills-based workshops.

Simon added: “Our players talk to the children about dual-career pathways and mixing professional sport with academic passions. It’s a concept many of the children don’t realise is an option, and nor do their parents.

“Our players become mentors. They talk to the children about goals, having targets and aspirations. You can see the impact it has on the children’s faces and, often, their parents too.”