A community athletics club in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, has received a £2,000 boost, thanks to the efforts of local insurance broker Andrew Hopper and Allianz’s Sports Fund initiative.
Hopper, managing director of RLM Commercial Insurance Solutions and an appointed representative of the Gauntlet Group, became aware of the Allianz Sports Fund after attending the 2024 Gauntlet Appointed Representative (AR) Conference. The initiative invites brokers to nominate local sports clubs that support Olympic or Paralympic disciplines.
Motivated by the opportunity, Hopper nominated Houghton Harriers & AC, where his son, Ralph, has been a member since 2023. The club was invited to submit a formal application and was later selected to receive the funding.
“I would not have known about the fund had I not attended the AR conference and picked up on the fact that Allianz is so committed to supporting grass-roots sport,” Hopper said. “It proves there is so much to be gained from getting together, in the same room, with some of Gauntlet’s many insurer partners.”
He added that the club’s executive committee was “highly delighted” by the success. “The committee applied for a lower amount than it actually received so everyone was really ecstatic when the news came in,” said Hopper.
The unexpected award will allow the club to purchase new training equipment for younger members and invest in an equipment storage facility.
Adam Tetley, business development manager at Allianz Commercial, welcomed the result: “I was absolutely over the moon to discover one of my broker partners had been successful in gaining funding from our Allianz Sports Fund, which works with our brokers to support grass-roots clubs. Last year was particularly significant for this initiative, as it also worked in conjunction with our sponsorship of the Paralympics in Paris.”
Gauntlet Group’s managing director, Roger Gaunt, also praised the outcome: “We did not anticipate another win in summer 2025, because of information presented. It shows the importance of having insurers so actively involved in our conference and presenting information that might otherwise not filter through to brokers.”
How could a funding boost like this transform youth sports in a local community? Share your insights in the comments below.
