Ice hockey star Ollie cheques in at The Nottingham's new-look Mansfield branch

Nottingham Panthers player Ollie Betteridge helped present a £250 donation from The Nottingham to a local charity that supports vulnerable people in the Mansfield area.

Ollie took time out to visit the building society in the Nottinghamshire town, where he also met with fans as part of an event celebrating their branch on Stockwell Gate having undergone a major refurbishment recently.

As well as signing autographs and posing for pics, Ollie officially reopened the state-of-the-art premises - which include a space exclusively for community use - before joining staff in handing over vital funds, and a signed Panthers shirt, to Jigsaw Support Scheme.

The Nottingham’s Mansfield team have been passionate supporters of Jigsaw for several years, raising hundreds of pounds for them via a series of fundraising events.

It was fitting that Ollie agreed to present the latest donation as The Nottingham are main sponsors and Official Building Society of the Nottingham Panthers.

Commenting on his visit, Ollie said: “The Nottingham are a building society who pride themselves on being at the heart of the communities in which they have branches.

“It was a pleasure to be able to go along and not only see first-hand how fantastic the new, modern branch environment looks and feels but to also meet some of our ardent fans and play a part in the building society’s support for a fantastic charity. It was a great event.” 

Local Leader at The Nottingham, Lisa Pilgrim, added: “Having Ollie kindly find time to come and see the branch, meet the team who work there and some of our customers and to help with the presentation was fantastic. Thank-you to him and everyone who attended.

“It was fantastic to be able to celebrate the refurbishment of the branch in this way, and to be able to give something back to the community in the process – something that is very much part of our ethos.”  

The new-look branch is a Covid-19 secure and compliant environment that includes integrated protective screens, hand sanitising facilities, guidance on distancing and electronic door locks that can be utilised to control customer flow (if required).