Kindred Group, a principal club sponsor of English Football League (EFL) side Middlesbrough FC, announced that it has donated its front-of-shirt space to the MFC Foundation for the upcoming match with Millwall.

Part of EFL’s ‘Week of Action’

The announcement that the shirt space reserved for the Unibet’s logo would feature MFC Foundation’s branding this Saturday came as part of the EFL’s ‘Week of Action’ initiative. The logo of Kindred Group’s flagship brand will also be replaced by MFC Foundation’s branding on the team’s warm-up gear.

Neil Banbury, managing director in the UK for Kindred Group, outlined that the idea is part of “a new kind of sponsorship model” the group is “determined to implement” to leverage its position and “positively influence clubs and communities.”

“That’s why it’s great to be able to highlight the MFC Foundation – and its range of work across the region – in this weekend’s game,” he added.

MFC Foundation aims to improve the odds of succeeding in life for young people and adults across Teesside and is partly funded by the football club’s commercial partners, including Kindred Group. By donating its front-of-shirt space, the gambling firm is seeking to draw attention to the foundation’s work and popularize its projects and services within the local community.

Draw Attention to MFC Foundation’s Work

We’re delighted to have this opportunity to reinforce to the wider footballing community the importance of the MFC Foundation.

Lynsey Edwards, head of the MFC Foundation

Edwards is appreciative of the support the foundation receives from its partner to keep its “varied work across the region,” and is “looking forward to building on that in the months ahead.”

Kindred Group also supports MFC Foundation’s ‘Think With Your Feet’ program that enables young men to meet and play football, as well as discuss their mental health issues, and for the upcoming fixture with Millwall, has donated its hospitality access to participants from the Foundation’s Walking Football and East Cleveland fitness sessions.

The idea to donate its front-of-shirt space to the MFC Foundation dates back to November 2020 when Kindred Group announced it would offer up its shirt sponsorship to the foundation, along with the third strip for one game per season, while players will wear warm-up gear branded with the foundation’s logo for three games per season.

Kindred Group also donated its front-of-shirt space with both Middlesbrough and Rangers FC during the Safer Gambling Week in October to help the industry encourage safer gambling practices in the UK.