Press Releases

Walking Football Association Sponsorship Launch

2nd April 2019

Lifetime Mortgage lender Pure Retirement are delighted to announce their sponsorship of the England over-50s and over-60s national walking football teams through a number of key strategic arrangements, including becoming the squads’ main shirt sponsor. It comes at a time when the sport is going from strength to strength and truly resonating with those in later life, becoming the UK’s fastest-growing sport in the process.

The sponsorship forms part of Pure’s campaign this year to have more of a customer-facing presence, aiming to help educate the over 50s about lifetime mortgages and the opportunities they could present for helping with later life funding. Having already established itself as a pioneer for the education of advisers in equity release, Pure have taken that next step to filter down the much-needed education piece to those who may benefit from the product solutions themselves.

The arrangement was formally launched at an event held at the Dorothy Hyman sports complex in Barnsley. The day featured a contingent from the Pure Retirement office facing off against a crack squad from the national teams under the watchful eye of both the inventor of walking football John Croot and a delegation from the Cross Gates Good Neighbours Scheme, a Leeds’ based community group helping alleviate loneliness and promote active lifestyles and new activities among the over-60s, and the event also served as a fundraising event for the WFA’s charity partner, Prostate Cancer UK.

Speaking about the new partnership, Pure Retirement CEO Paul Carter says: "Whether it’s taking control of their affairs to give themselves the retirement they deserve or leading a more active lifestyle, we’re increasingly seeing that the dated stereotype of the pipe-and-slippers retiree is fast becoming a thing of the past. We as a company have seen it within the later life lending sector and walking football is the fastest-growing sport in the UK at present, so this feels like a very apt and timely partnership. We’re delighted to be teaming up with the WFA, and we look forward to working with them in any way we can to help them to develop and grow the sport."

Walking Football Association Chief Executive Paul Carr says "The WFA are very excited with this new partnership with Pure Retirement. We anticipate that this will be a long and fruitful relationship between two companies that share the same values and vision," with walking football creator John Croot adding that "There is so much synergy between The WFA and Pure Retirement, and in many ways the growth of both the WFA and Pure Retirement mirror each other. We share the same values around health and wellbeing and I am sure this will give the WFA a real platform to move forward."

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