Buildeo enters into a sponsorship agreement with The Eight Academy FC!
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He is not a great fan of football, he is not too much into sports, he didn’t even watch EURO 2016! So what made Jakub Piorkowski, the Founder & Director of Buildeo, a commercial construction company, enter into a sponsorship agreement with The Eight Academy FC, a teenage football club from London? It’s not the want for popularity or recognition. It’s something much more noble…
Natalia Suta for Unicoo: What does a construction company and a football club have in common?
Jakub Piorkowski: Nothing! (laughter). I don’t know much about football and I don’t think Mariusz knows a lot about civil engineering, but when it comes to helping, it doesn’t matter how much we have in common.
Natalia: Very well said, but still, why did you choose to sponsor a football club and not some other organisation?
Jakub: I think Mariusz [Chairman of the 8 Academy FC] and myself met at the right time in the right place. The first idea was to exchange experience, share our visions with each other. But soon enough I saw how much passion he has for helping young talents. He puts his heart and soul not only into training players, but also into teaching them how to lose and how to deal with challenging situations. And the kids themselves are extremely excited about football – it is to them more than just a game. It is about respect, dignity, and self-discipline. That’s what really touched me, and I simply decided to sponsor the club. Being able to help them nurture their talents means a lot to me…
Natalia: … plus you get the chance to market your company
Jakub: That’s true, but that plays a secondary role. This sponsorship is not so much about marketing my brand as it is about helping young talents chase their dreams. Not everyone is given that chance, which is sad. It’s true that boys will be wearing jerseys with our logo, but to me it means that fans and families will be able to see that Buildeo is a partner rather than just a business focused on turn over.
Natalia: How will the money be used?
Jakub: The funds will be directed into equipment, football kit & clothing, and playing costs. It will help to keep the costs down for the players, which will increase player retention and will hopefully help the club to grow.
Natalia: Will you be going to the matches?
Jakub: Of course, I will. Not all of them, but I will make time to visit the club and follow the teams’ performance regularly. I don’t want to be “a stranger guy who gives money”. I want to motivate the boys, show them my support, even though I will never do it as well as Mariusz ☺
Natalia: And how does he feel about the sponsorship?
Jakub: He is thankful and excited about how he can use the money to grow the club. He actually summed up our deal with one quote: “Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.”* and I think he is right.
Natalia: Yes, sounds about right. Well, thank you ever so much for your time and all the best
Jakub: Thank you! My pleasure.
*quote by Henry Ford
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