Supporting the Sheffield Hatters
Since 2022, we have proudly sponsored England’s first women’s basketball team.
The Sheffield Hatters have a long history of empowering women and girls through sport, regardless of age or cultural background.
We’re proud to help this incredible club continue their work as role models in the community through supporting local schools with coaching, running inter-school competitions, and providing teams for local young women.
Social impact beyond sport
We believe in supporting initiatives that make a real impact on local communities, and our partnership with the Sheffield Hatters is a prime example.
As the UK’s most successful women’s basketball team, the Sheffield Hatters are more than sports champions. They are champions of social change.
By empowering young women and promoting diversity in sports, they align perfectly with our vision to enrich every life we touch.
“We are so very grateful for the sponsorship from Canon Medical UK. We are a voluntary-run basketball team with many of our players working full time in addition to playing basketball at an elite level.
All financial support we receive goes straight into encouraging young women to try basketball or become part of the extended ‘Hatters Family’.
Our sporting community has a strong role-model ethos at its core, which has helped thousands of young girls and women over the years, giving them belonging, helping them to take positive paths in life, and encouraging them to embrace the feel-good factor that basketball can bring.”
– Sarah Carpenter, Charitable Trustee at Sheffield Hatters
Empowering women in Sheffield
Keeping with the Sheffield Hatters’ founding values, the team plays an active part in their local community by engaging with local initiatives to empower young people.
Role modelling diversity in basketball
The club’s senior players regularly visit local primary and secondary schools to promote basketball and engage with young girls. They are actively trying to increase diversity within the sport through various opportunities, such as workshops, free events and coaching opportunities for all ages.
Alongside regional initiatives, this is making a difference in female participation. In the UK, female basketball participation is on the rise, with 20% of UK players and 14% of basketball coaches being female.
Junior teams from U10s through to U18s
The team knows the importance of strong female role models to inspire and motivate girls and young women to participate in sports and develop themselves personally.
The Sheffield Hatters have a strong junior development programme with teams
ranging from under-10s through to under-18s. We’re proud to see the impact of these programmes as many junior players go on to join the senior team, showing how sport can truly enrich lives.
Promoting RESPECT in young people
In addition to their sporting achievements, the Hatters are key contributors to the RESPECT and RESPECT TOO programmes. These initiatives empower young people through basketball, healthy lifestyle education, and workshops on good citizenship.
The Sheffield Hatters’ involvement ensures that young women are welcomed into these programmes, where they can learn life skills, foster creativity, and build self-confidence through positive role models and supportive environments.
