LONDON (16 December 2022) – Global payments provider Elavon Merchant Services is the headline sponsor of the University of Essex Rebels basketball club for season 2022/23.
The Essex Rebels, based in Colchester, compete in the Women’s British Basketball League & 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, says,
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 (with or without the need to compete) 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 Lister, Business Development Manager at the University of Essex, says, “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.”
Elavon is a leading global payments company with more than 4,300 employees and operations in 10 countries. A subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB), Elavon provides businesses with the technology needed to accept payments from customers, whether they are shopping in stores, at home or on the go.
Its platform is distinctive in that it is common across countries, making it easier for businesses to get their payment system up and running quickly and securely.
Elavon Financial Services DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is deemed authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.
Andy Walsh
andrew.walsh@elavon.com