Junior netball players in Birmingham and the Black Country inspired by England’s 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal success have been given a boost by local building services provider J S Wright.
The 129-year-old mechanical and electrical services specialist, which has its headquarters in Aston and offices in Bristol and London, has become the main sponsor of Parkside Netball Club in Sutton Coldfield.
The West Midlands’ premier junior netball club plays in the Walsall and Birmingham Intermediate leagues. It has two Under-13 (Year 8) and two Under-12 (Year 7) sides, with an Under-14 (Year 9) squad starting in September.
J S Wright’s rolling annual sponsorship will enable the club to invest in training equipment and subsidise entry fees for tournaments across the country.
Parkside has spawned a host of internationals since it was established in 1995, including current England Roses captain Ama Agbeze and players Beth Cobden and Layla Gusgoth, all of whom started out as juniors at the club and are now hoping to be selected for the Netball World Cup in Liverpool this summer.
In addition, no less than 18 of Parkside’s current 22-member Under-13 squad and four of the Under-12s are in the Birmingham Academy (County) squad.
Run entirely by volunteers, the club recently won the Birmingham Under-14 County League despite its oldest player being a year younger than the age level. It also finished second in the England Under-12 Midlands regional tournament, leading to qualification for the national finals being held this month.
Parkside Netball Club Chairman David Griffiths said: “J S Wright’s great support will help us give the increasing number of young girls across Birmingham that want to take up netball the best possible opportunity to train and play at the highest level, achieve their individual potential, and make lasting friendships.”
Andrew Smith, J S Wright National Design and Estimating Director, whose daughter Lily plays for the club, said: “We are delighted to be able to support Parkside in nurturing the sporting ambitions of young girls in our community. As a company, J S Wright similarly strives to be the best at what we do and to provide a rewarding career path for local young people.”
Parkside Netball Club trains at North Birmingham Academy in Sutton Coldfield and plays its home league games at Birmingham University, Phoenix Collegiate in West Bromwich, and the Walsall campus of Wolverhampton University.
Established in Birmingham in 1890, J S Wright designs, installs and maintains mechanical and electrical services for the hotel, residential, social housing, student accommodation, leisure and commercial sectors. The company recently launched a new residential maintenance company, Wright Maintenance Ltd, serving homeowners and property managers across London.
The company was voted one of the UK's Top Ten Specialist Contractors to Work For in the 2016 Construction Enquirer Awards and was a finalist in three categories in the 2018 H&V News Awards.
