The Royal Windsor Roller Girls can now compete with the best thanks to a little help from FirstGroup. The Aberdeen based transport giant’s Charity and Sponsorship Committee has provided enough funding to allow the Roller Derby team to purchase an electronic score board and period clock, one of the requirements needed in order to compete in national competitions governed by the WFTDA (Woman’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association).
Roller Derby, a sport based on formation roller skating around an oval track with points scored as players lap members of the opposing team, has been played by The Royal Windsor Roller Girls since 2007. After nearly two years of training, in 2009 the team were good enough to take on their first competitive bout.
Since then, they have been playing in front of packed out crowds of over 400 and were entered into the European Roller Derby tournament in Earls Court.
Charlotte Whitfield, a Depot Operations Manager for First in Berkshire, who was recently runner up in the Young Manager of the Year Award at the UK Bus Awards, has been training and competing with the Royal Windsor Roller Girls since its formation. She said: “We are all very grateful to First for providing this funding. The entire team gets involved in the fundraising and promotion of our club and donations such as this give us a huge helping hand.”
She continued: “The new clock and score board will obviously allow us to compete fully under WFTDA conditions, but it will also add so much more to our competitions. Not only will it be a benefit to the teams, but the crowd will be more involved, which we hope will draw in more spectators.”
Avril Gill, FirstGroup’s Marketing Manager, said: “I am pleased we have been able to help the Roller Girls. It’s great to see people getting active and enjoying all kinds of sports. The effort the team has gone to in keeping the club running is extremely impressive and the Committee was happy to help.”
She added: “The new period clock and score board is going to allow the team to get involved in some great competitions and I wish them the best of luck in the future.”
The Royal Windsor Roller Girls were awarded funding by FirstGroup’s Sponsorship and Charity Committee. The Committee comprises 12 members of staff based throughout Britain. The Committee considers requests for funding and gifts from groups and organisations across the country. It aims to provide charitable support in line with three specific criteria – young people, health and the environment. For further information on the Committee please visit
www.firstgroup.com.
Photo caption: The Royal Windsor Roller Girls during a training session
Photo provided by Paul Stoakes
ENDS
For further information, please contact Alex Fenwick, FirstGroup Marketing, Communications & PR Executive, on 07843 647023 or email
[email protected]