March 2016 – Throughout the last six months, Premier’s staff and customers have enjoyed the ‘beautiful game’, through Premier’s charity work and with a little help from the FA.

Each year Premier work closely with a number of charities and organisations and is proud to support Breast Cancer Care. Founded in 1973 by Betty Westgate, Breast Cancer Care is the only UK wide charity that provides information, care and support to people affected by breast cancer. For a number of years now, the Premier Paper Group have supported Breast Cancer Care, donating money, time and resource to help the charity in providing it’s excellent service and in the organisation of its successful charity events.

It is through their ongoing support of Breast Cancer Care that Premier Paper, the UK’s leading independent paper merchant, were able to offer something special to their customers.  Another of Breast Cancer Care’s sponsors is the Football Association (FA) and on November 17^th 2015, Premier invited one of their customer’s to Wembley, to watch England take on France from the royal box. Premier’s customer enjoyed some amazing hospitality whilst getting to see the Three Lions win the match by two goals to nil.

Then on November 25^th 2015, it was back to Wembley as 22 of Premier’s staff and customers took part in an 11 v 11 on the hallowed turf itself. The Essential Blues lined up against the Navigator Whites, to take part in a game of mixed abilities and fitness levels under the watchful eye and whistle of non other than professional referee Dermot Gallagher. The teams were well balanced and the match finished 2-3 to the Navigator Whites. A good day was had by all, especially as playing football at Wembley has long been a childhood dream of many of those who were in attendance. Professional photographer, David Peters, was on hand to capture all of the match’s shots, passes and tackles; a commemorative photo book of the day was presented to each of Premier’s guests.

On 22^nd March 2016 Premier took two of their customers to St George’s Park, the Football Association’s national football centre, a 330-acre site in Burton-upon-Trent in Staffordshire. Premier’s customers watched the England squad train ahead of their friendly with Germany in Berlin later on in the week. They got to meet with England manager Roy Hodgson as well as various players  from the England camp including James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Jamie Vardy who went on to score England’s equaliser in the 74^th minute before Eric Dier went on to net the winning goal.

Later that same week, on 24^th March, the official FA Cup made a special guest appearance at Premier’s head office in Minworth. Staff and customers from across the country were invited to the branch to lift the trophy and have their picture taken with it by a professional photographer. Premier’s guests enjoyed food and refreshments as well as guided tours of Premier’s Minworth central distribution centre.

Speaking of the Premier’s support of Breast Cancer Care, Dave Jones Premier’s Group Marketing Director said “The work that we do with various organisations that we support is very much part of our company culture and values. Breast Cancer Care play an important part in so many people’s lives and we are pleased to be able to offer some much needed support to their efforts.”

Jones went on to say, “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be able to invite customers to these events. They allow for our staff to build and maintain their relationships with our customers whilst together, enjoying a once in a lifetime experience that provides stories to share with children and grand children as well as bragging rights with their friends and colleagues; after all how many people can say that they have played football at Wembley and held the FA Cup aloft? (Albeit under the watchful gaze of two very serious security guards).”