SunSkips ponies up for sponsored jump at Suffolk event

SunSkips has sponsorship boards at several East Anglia sports clubs, but this is the first time we’ve seen a horse jump over one.

The Suffolk Hunt branch of The Pony Club hosted Area 8 Eventing on July 16th and 17th at Ickworth Park, which was attended by several other clubs in the East Anglia region (The Pony Club’s Area 8).

To raise funds, local businesses were offered the chance for their branding to appear on their very own jumps – an invitation the horse lovers at the Suffolk skip hire company couldn’t refuse.

“It’s not something we’d done before,” explained secretary and sponsorship coordinator, Leanne Livall. “But because this is such a massive event to put on, we had to do something to help with the finances and wanted to bring the community in at the same time.

 

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“The themed jumps gave the children the opportunity to ride around something a bit special,” continued Leanne. “It makes the fences stand out and dresses the grounds nicely for the event.”

One Ipswich school sponsored a jump made of pencils in their school colours, complete with a sharpener and erasers, while Thomas Ridley Foodservice had a jump made to look like a full picnic spread.

The club made a big effort to promote the local businesses involved, with special mentions from commentators and shout-outs on social media.

“It was lovely to have another local company on board with us,” Leanne added. “Thank you so much for getting involved! We had a super weekend!”

The Suffolk Hunt branch is run solely by volunteers to give local youngsters the opportunity to ride without the huge fees and is always open to new members.

SunSkips managing director Mat Stewart attended The Pony Club as a youth and was keen to give back to such a valued local organisation.

Leanne, whose daughter is a member of the club, was keen to point out that The Pony Club has evolved over the years and is much more than just a place for kids with ponies to ride.

“Children don’t need to own a pony to be a member of The Pony Club. They can earn achievement badges and attend rallies. We teach safety, knowledge of the countryside, basic first aid and feeding principles; trying to give them a little bit more responsibility.

“It’s a bit like Brownies, but with horses.”

The event also featured a small shopping village and catering, so organisers were keen to get an environmentally conscious waste management company in to make sure as much as possible was recycled. So on top of the jump, SunSkips donated a couple of 4-yard skips.

“We had the SunSkips containers at the entrance and one near the cross country so they could be easily seen and used. It’s great to see waste companies that are so forward-thinking in terms of the environment,” added Leanne.

SunSkips is proud to sponsor and make donations to local charities and volunteer-run organisations in East Anglia.