New Wheels for Hampshire Harriers

Members of wheelchair basketball team ‘Hampshire Harriers’ are delighted to have received specially designed sports chairs, courtesy of a £5,000 donation from The Eight Foundation.

Two members of the Hampshire Harriers will be in the best position to help maintain the team’s premier status in the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association (GBWBA) league, thanks to a donation from the Eight Foundation.

Sam Hill, 18, and Tanya Surtees, 28, have been playing for the basketball club for the past four years and now have RGK and PER4MAX wheelchairs, specially designed for the sport with indoor tyres, fixed frames and bumper bars.

The club, which has now been running for over 30 years, promotes and supports wheelchair basketball for not only competition, but also improving the general fitness of its players aged from 14 to 72 years old. The club’s two teams are both currently top of their leagues, national Division 3 and Division 4 South West.

‘The success of Hampshire Harriers, both in terms of team performance and individual stories is inspirational,’ says Victoria Riggs, Co-ordinator of the Eight Foundation, the charitable fund of Eight Wealth Management in Whiteley committed to supporting local charities and individuals, principally in areas of health, disadvantage and education.

‘When the club was nominated for attention by one of our donors, our trustees immediately approved our support for such a fantastic enterprise with admiration and best wishes.’

‘We are really grateful to the Eight Foundation for such a generous donation,’ says Mark Dent, Head Coach of the Hampshire Harriers. ‘Donations such as these are vital for helping us keep on top of our game and offer the physical, mental and social benefits of playing to as many people as possible.’