Partnerships
Partnerships are central to how we create meaningful impact. By working alongside organisations across sport, education, culture, and community, we can combine our expertise with shared ambition to deliver positive outcomes. These collaborations help create opportunity, advance communities, and demonstrate the value of working together to achieve more.
Backing netball to build confidence beyond the court
Through our partnership with Birmingham Panthers, we launched Gateley Gateway to Netball, a schools’ development programme that supports young people through sport, wellbeing and education.
Delivered by Birmingham Panthers players and coaches, the programme combines elite on-court netball sessions with practical guidance on nutrition and fitness. It reached hundreds of children, starting with five underserved schools across Birmingham, Worcester and Coventry.
For many pupils, this marked their first introduction to netball as not everyone has the same access to sport or positive role models.
The first session took place at Welsh House Farm Community School in Harborne, led by Birmingham Panthers stars Gabby Coffey and Charli Fidler. Pupils also met Birmingham Panthers nutritionist Caroline Tarnowski, who shared simple, practical tips on fuelling for sport and making healthier food choices.
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The programme was also supported by the Pakistan Netball Academy, helping tackle under-representation by encouraging more girls to get involved and enjoy the sport.
Welsh House Farm was a powerful place to kick off the initiative. 56% of pupils have a first language that isn’t English, and 71% are eligible for free school meals. This is exactly where consistent confidence-building opportunities can have the greatest value.
Gateley Gateway to Netball wasn’t about our branding. It was about showing up in the communities we’re part of and using our partnership to open doors that can genuinely change a young person’s day and, over time, their direction in life.
By combining the skills and inspiring stories from elite athletes, practical wellbeing advice that supported healthier habits, and a focus on schools, where opportunity can be harder to come by, we helped create a space where pupils felt included.
Building on a strong debut season for Birmingham Panthers in the Netball Super League, we also renewed our partnership for a further two years, with a pledge to continue supporting Gateley Gateway to Netball, helping more young people across the region access sport and build confidence.
Will Collinson, CEO, Birmingham Panthers, said:
“Gateley were one of the first organisations to believe in Birmingham Panthers’ vision and journey. Their support is helping us grow faster, reach further and do more for our communities than we ever could alone. We’re excited to extend this partnership and the impact we can have together, especially for young people across the region, is only just getting started.”
More than a partnership. A shared commitment to widening the game.
Our partnership with Maiden Cricket started with a simple ambition: to help more girls discover and progress in the game. Since then, it’s grown into something far more meaningful.
Together with Maiden Cricket, we started by kitting out 20 girls in the Ambassador Rising Star programme and the results were immediate. In 2025, we launched the Gateley Schools Programme to help “remove barriers to participation by providing high-quality, purpose-designed kit” for girls in state education, where access to cricket and suitable teamwear is still far from equal.
Working with local media across Surrey, we built a cohort that reflected a balance of experience, location, and need, from beginner to county level, and including adaptive sport:
- Heathfield Primary, a grassroots leader, where the Surrey Coach of the Year is developing the next generation
- George Abbot Secondary, an established girls' programme, now with complete kit and equipment for the first time.
- Christ's College, launching its very first girls' cricket team, led by the school's first ever female cricket coach.
- GB Women's Wheelchair Cricket Team, representing adaptive sport, wearing Maiden kit for the 2026 season.
- Every piece of kit was produced and delivered ahead of the 2026 season, built for fit, function, and what it signals to the player wearing it and bearing the Gateley name.
I've been the only girl in boys' teams my whole life. That's why I'm so proud to be launching our very first girls' cricket team. The bespoke kit will help raise the profile of girls' cricket and give our players a real sense of identity."
Paige Goodwin Girls' Cricket Co-Head Coach, Christ's College Guildford
For our players, having high quality kit that is designed for them sends a powerful message: you belong here. You are seen. You matter. It has lifted confidence and helped us show young women and girls that there is a place for them in cricket, whatever their pathway."
Russ Carter Head Coach, GB Women's Wheelchair Cricket Team
Where woodland creation and inclusive education grow side by side
As we entered our third year of partnership with the Heart of England Forest, we continued to support the creation and conservation of native woodland, bringing environmental action and community involvement together in a practical, hands‑on way.
Our ongoing partnership with the Heart of England Forest has seen us facilitate access for hundreds of school children from disadvantaged backgrounds who would not have previously had the opportunity to visit. We funded an after-school club for children from Ark Kings Academy in Birmingham, with 15 outdoor sessions designed to build confidence and a stronger connection to the natural world. The sessions created space for curiosity, calm and growth, and the results were transformative for the pupils, boosting their confidence and social skills.
Building on this success, the programme has been extended to St Luke’s CE First School and St George’s CE First School in Redditch.
of pupils from St Luke’s CE First School are eligible for free school meals
of pupils are classed as having special educational needs (SEN), with 8% having ‘significant needs’.
of pupils at St George’s CE First School are eligible for free school meals and
require SEN support.
Each school is set to take part in 12 after‑school sessions in the first half of 2026, widening access and giving more children the chance to benefit from learning beyond the classroom.
By combining woodland creation, colleague volunteering and inclusive education, this partnership shows what can happen when environmental and social outcomes grow together. It’s about supporting a healthier future for our people, our communities and the planet we share.
Fran Bos, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager, the Heart of England Forest, added:
“Our partnership with Gateley enables us to open up life-changing experiences in nature for young people who need them most. We have seen the children attending our After School Club build confidence, develop new skills, and forge lasting connections with the natural world. We are grateful to have a partner who truly shares our belief that nature should be accessible to all."
In addition to this, over the past year, our people also got stuck into two volunteering days, with more than 20 colleagues taking part at each session. Together, they planted almost 2,000 trees, helping boost biodiversity and support the long‑term health of local ecosystems. Just as important, these days gave our people the chance to connect with nature and with each other and see the impact of their efforts take root.
Over the last three years, our people have championed approximately 4,000 trees helping to create new habitats where wildlife can thrive and grow a greener future for the benefit of generations to come.
Stories with impact
Celebrating culture, community, and shared milestones in Salford
Our Manchester office renewed their partnership with Lowry, Salford’s iconic arts and cultural venue, following a milestone year for both organisations. In 2025, we celebrated 15 years in the city, while Lowry celebrated its 25anniversaries, strengthening a shared sense of community.
Bringing smiles and creativity to Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Over the past year, our people volunteered alongside our charity partner, Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH), supporting the ArtKart, a mobile trolley of arts and crafts materials that visits wards across BCH, offering both bedside and take‑away creative activities for young patients.
