England Athletics and Davies Sports launch new partnership to support growth of funetics

England Athletics is pleased to announce a new three-year partnership between funetics and leading sports equipment supplier Davies Sports.

The partnership marks an exciting new chapter for funetics, England Athletics' programme designed to help children develop fundamental movement skills through fun, engaging athletics-themed activities. As part of the agreement, Davies Sports will become the exclusive distributor of all funetics equipment bags on behalf of England Athletics.

Davies Sports is a specialist supplier of PE and sports equipment, supporting schools, clubs and leisure organisations across the UK. Their equipment is specifically developed and manufactured for education, undertaking rigorous product testing for durability and suitability. With age, height and ability appropriate options, their extensive range caters for early years through to senior performance level, and their reach and expertise will help make funetics resources more accessible to educators, coaches and activity providers nationwide.

The funetics equipment bags play a central role in the programme and can be delivered as a standalone funetics offer or incorporated into multi-sport programmes, holiday camps and festival-style events. Through this partnership, customers will benefit from a streamlined purchasing process, improved product availability and an expanded range of supplementary and inclusion-focused resources.

Tracey Francis, Head of Participation Programmes at England Athletics, said:

"We are excited to launch our new partnership with Davies Sports. Their centralised operations enable us to respond quickly and efficiently to customer demand, ensuring a seamless purchasing experience.

We have been hugely impressed by the efficiency of the product journey, from warehouse to customer doorstep, and by the extensive reach Davies Sports has across schools, clubs and communities.

Davies Sports' expertise has already helped us enhance the equipment bag, particularly through reducing its overall weight and improving the selection of items included. In addition, customers will now be able to purchase supplementary resources, inclusion-focused equipment and replacement items directly, providing greater flexibility and choice."

Chris Mahady, CEO of Findel, parent company of Davies Sports, said:

“We’re delighted that Davies Sports has been chosen to support England Athletics in the development of funetics. As an organisation dedicated to helping schools create more active, engaged and confident young people, funetics aligns perfectly with our mission to make physical activity accessible and enjoyable for every child.

PE teachers and school leaders are continually looking for innovative ways to engage pupils in movement and sport, and funetics provides a fantastic platform for developing fundamental athletic skills through inclusive and curriculum-friendly activities. By helping children build confidence, competence and a lifelong enjoyment of being active, the programme is already making a difference in schools.

As a trusted partner to the education sector, we are proud to contribute our expertise to the development of the equipment bag and supporting resources. Every refinement, however small, is an opportunity to make delivery easier for educators to maximise the experience for pupils. We look forward to working closely with England Athletics to help bring funetics to more schools and inspire the next generation to enjoy the benefits of athletics and physical activity.”

The partnership represents a significant step forward in expanding the reach of funetics and supporting more schools, clubs and community organisations to introduce young people to athletics in a fun, inclusive and accessible way.

This partnership will help ensure more children have opportunities to develop movement skills, build confidence and enjoy being active through athletics-based activities.