Ground Breaking Partnership

The Lakeside Hammers are proud to announce Ruggles & Jeffery Ltd as the club’s lead Community Programme Partner.

Ruggles & Jeffery are a successful Essex based business that specialises in office and commercial fit-outs, refurbishment and small construction projects. The company, which has a history of supporting grass roots and community projects throughout the county, is committed to putting something back into their community and is delighted to be supporting the Hammers ground breaking programme.

Ian Jeffery and Brian Ruggles with Hammers skipper Lee Richardson and Co-Promoter Jon Cook

Ian Jeffery, managing director of R & J (www.rugglesandjeffery.co.uk), explaining the company’s involvement said that “we’ve been looking to expand our involvement in community projects and are thrilled to have the opportunity to help the Hammers develop their educational, charity and outreach work. We’re excited to be working in a new arena and by the opportunities that we can help create.”

Mark Sexton, Hammers Community Liaison Manager, expanded by saying that thanks to R & J’s substantial financial commitment, the club can meet the programme’s primary goals of helping schools, youth groups, charities and other organisations that support the disadvantaged.

Sexton believes that the Ruggles & Jeffery name will soon become synonymous with the Hammers and its Community Programme and added that the club is enormously grateful for the faith that R & J’s company directors have shown in the programme’s aims and objectives. The club’s recently upgraded website provides an insight into the Community Programme (CP) and can be viewed by following the Community tab at www.lakesidehammers.com

Hammers co-promoter, Jon Cook, said that “this is another feather in the cap of the club and having met the guys from Ruggles & Jeffery on several occasions, I am sure that they will prove to be ideal community partners.

“We look forward to working together on this exciting project and bringing our club and our sport to a new audience within the local community, many of whom we otherwise may not get the opportunity to reach.”

Ruggles & Jeffery’s involvement in the Lakeside Hammers Community Programme followed discussions that began last December between Sexton and Roger McKerlie of Sport Business Network (www.sportbusinessnetwork.com ), who brokered the deal.

SBN is a south-east based company that is enjoying significant growth by leveraging the power that sport has to help its membership network effectively. The deal is the company’s first venture into speedway and McKerlie hopes that the alliance between all the parties involved will provide a blueprint for other community-minded companies.

The Hammers will be welcoming Ian, Brian and other company representatives to the Raceway at tonight’s Elite League fixture against the Wolverhampton Wolves.