Dalepak, supporting the community

SPORTING summer youth development is once more the focus of Dalepak in Northampton as the benefits of two fresh sponsorships continue to blossom.

Dalepak’s sweeping net of support for enthusiastic young sportsmen has now reached cricketers at Northamptonshire CCC as well as bowlers of a different type, at the Kingsthorpe Bowls Club on Central Avenue.

Former Northamptonshire CCC commercial manager Graham Alsop has a vested interest in both camps, and explained how the link with Dalepak MD Mick White came about.

He said: “I have known Mick in passing for around 40 years around Northampton but that relationship has grown considerably in the last ten years, during which time he has been involved with corporate hospitality and advertising at Northants CCC.”

He added: “The good thing about Mick’s support is being targeted locally and towards youth.”

The cricket link was cemented two years ago when Dalepak stepped in to sponsor shirts for around 150 juniors actively involved in the county set-up in teams which run from Under 9s right the way up to the Under 19s, all overseen by Derek Styman at the club.

The Bowls Club relationship is an even more recent one, set up last year, as Alsop explained: “Our young bowlers were playing a match against Northants Under 25s and I thought both teams looked like the scruffiest bunch you had ever seen.

“I felt we needed to do something about this and Mick kindly agreed to put up some money for kit. I approached Steve Turnock at Hunts County Bats and asked him whether he could provide some green tops with a bit of white and red, and he came up with 40 shirts with a Dalepak emblem.”

The Kingsthorpe Bowls Club now has a thriving youth section around 30 strong including David Walker, who according to Alsop is one of the finest young bowls players in the country and on the brink of England youth selection.

Alsop added: “We have more youngsters than at any other club locally and on March 20 we held the inaugural Dalepak Trophy which brought in clubs from this county and beyond. In fact it was won by a team from the Warwickshire Bears and Sean Curt, one of the managers from Dalepak, came along with his family on the day to present the trophies.

“Kingsthorpe Bowls Club is in a lovely relaxing setting – there’s nothing finer than sitting there and watching a game -  and social membership is only £10 a year.”