Sante's WNBL Thames Valley Cavaliers Crowdfunder! Why do I need it?
I'm reaching out to ask for your support in helping me continue playing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL DIV 1) this 24/25 season with my team, the Thames Valley Cavaliers. As part of the club, we are required to pay player fees of £500 to cover essential expenses throughout the year, alongside necessary costs such as player licensing, which is £75 depending on residency status. This license is mandatory and without it, players cannot participate in the league. On top of that, there are regular expenses like travel to and from training sessions and games at our home ground Uxbridge College. Travel within London is very expensive for everyone and because Uxbridge is Zone 5 of the TFL system, currently traveling from the other side of London, 3x a week, can add up. Unfortunately, our club also does not currently have the funds to secure a minibus, meaning we also need to cover transportation costs to away games.
Basketball is my passion, and playing at this level again has been an incredible journey. However, despite being at the semi-professional level, sponsorship for women's sports is unfortunately limited, especially in the UK. Players like me in women’s leagues often have to seek financial support just to participate, even though our performances sometimes rival or surpass those in the men's leagues.
Anything you can contribute would be deeply appreciated and will help me keep pursuing my love for the game. Every bit of support brings me closer to competing in this league comfortably and doing what I love most. Thank you so much for your generosity!
Who are the Thames Valley Cavaliers?
Thames Valley Cavaliers (TVC) Women's Basketball squad are a self-funded squad, birthed in 2018. Initially, TVC started as one team of 12 women, competing at National level across the U.K. Year after year, we noticed a steady increase of interest to participate in basketball - whether socially, recreationally or at intermediate and elite levels. With the evident demand, we have rapidly grown, engaging over 100 women and players or all levels. We have also expanded our Women's side of the club by entering three teams of different levels into competitive leagues, providing plenty of opportunity to meet our demand, registering around 40-50 women and players to play and represent our club across three teams.
Below is a breakdown of Costs for the 24/25 season!
CLUB PLAYER FEE: £500
PLAYER LICENCE FEE: £75
TRAVEL FEES (Including training, home & away games): £1160 (estimated on PAYG TFL Fees)
TOTAL COSTS : £1735