Bridging Sport & Business

What started with one man in Portsmouth has grown into an international business and is giving back to the community by sponsoring three local sports clubs. Havent Rugby Club A pool table in a terraced house on Festing Grove was the setting for a business start-up in 1996 in Portsmouth, with an investment of £5K by its founder, Alastair Bell. Today the Systems Integrator has offices in Portsmouth, London, Wokingham, Hyderabad, Krakow, Singapore, Boston and is in the process of opening offices in Nairobi and Melbourne. Portsmouth Cricket Club Alastair used to play at PGS Squash Club and he noticed strong people skills and personality in John Davenport who worked at the Club. They became friends and Alastair asked John to join his fledgling company, Bell Microsystems, which by then had offices in Commercial Road. The name later changed to Bell Integration. Keen to give back to the community where all the fun started, Bell is sponsoring three sports clubs in the area: “Havant Rugby Club is delighted to continue what has been a long association with Bell Integration as a key (or the 1st XV shirt sponsor) sponsor of the club. As a completely amateur club, the financial support of our sponsors is essential and has helped us to develop all aspects of the club and allowed us to deliver our plan for sustainable rugby. It’s great to have the support of a local company and particularly an organisation of this size and having known a number of their leadership team for many years, I know that Bell takes great pleasure in investing in grass roots sport and the community. As a club sponsor, Bell has a presence at many of the home games where we host themed lunches for up to 200 guests; this includes staff members, customers and friends of the business. Bell is very much a part of the HRFC rugby family with several staff members (including Sales Director, John Davenport and ITLM Director, Nick Whittle) having played for the club from a young age through to National League level. This close connection helps to reinforce the relationship as there’s a real understanding of the value that the sponsorship and support provides.” – Jonathan Mangnall, President, HRFC