ABN AMRO and Esther Vergeer Foundation to work together for another two years

Creating impact

ABN AMRO has a clear purpose: Banking for better, for generations to come. This is reflected in its partnership with the Esther Vergeer Foundation through two projects. The Club van Morgen is an ABN AMRO programme that aims to open up five tennis clubs across the Netherlands to wheelchair users. The idea is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to play tennis, whether they have a disability or not. In addition, ABN AMRO supports the Esther Vergeer Foundation Sport Clinics by providing an ABN AMRO Sports Clinic Starter Pack for children. After undergoing a series of medical examinations and progress interviews in a hospital, children with a physical disability attend a consultation at the Sports Clinic focusing on their abilities and potential. A sports plan is then drawn up in line with the child’s needs, wishes and sporting abilities. This is the starting point for a personal coaching project, designed to help the child find a sports club that can meet his or her needs. Sander Bestevaar, Head of Sponsoring & Events at ABN AMRO: “With these two initiatives, we and the Esther Vergeer Foundation want to create equal opportunities for children with a disability as swiftly and as effectively as possible. It is essential that sport is accessible to all from an early age.

We have found the perfect partner in the Esther Vergeer Foundation: nobody is as committed to this cause as Esther Vergeer. Her knowledge and skills are indispensable.”

Partners for fifteen years

The Esther Vergeer Foundation and ABN AMRO go way back. Esther Vergeer is the tournament director of the ABN AMRO World Wheelchair Tennis Tournament (WWTT). The bank is the founder and long-time main sponsor of this event, which aims to raise the profile of wheelchair tennis. The Esther Vergeer Foundation enables children with a physical disability to take part in sports at regular clubs, just like other children. Vergeer: “We see that participating in a sport on a weekly basis boosts the morale of these children and gives them the confidence to take their place in society. We think that every child should have this opportunity, so we are looking forward to working alongside ABN AMRO to further develop this partnership. It is a partnership to be proud of.” The WTT and the WWTT offer equal opportunities to regular tennis players and wheelchair tennis players, giving them access to the same training facilities, the same players’ lounge and high-quality live streams.

In addition, every year the bank and the Esther Vergeer Foundation invite young wheelchair tennis players to come and watch the tournament, and organise clinics for them during the event.