Arena where Riders play their home matches gets a new name
THE home of Leicester Riders and the city’s largest indoor arena has been rebranded as the Mattioli Arena until 2029.
The Ian & Clare Mattioli Charitable Trust has accepted naming rights for the venue, which was formerly the Morningside Arena.
The Trust has donated funds to the Leicester Riders Foundation, the charity which develops basketball and other sport participation for people of all ages across Leicester and Leicestershire.
The generosity of the Mattioli family has resulted in the Trust being offered naming rights to the arena in recognition of their continued support.
Recent donations from the Trust are in addition to the £500,000 donation made to help fund the arena’s extension in 2022.
The arena will work with the family to create a lasting legacy gifted to communities in Leicester and Leicestershire.
The Trust – established by the Mattioli family in 2016 – works to help enhance the lives and opportunities of local people.
In particular, it works with communities and socio-economic groups which are often sidelined and struggle to access opportunities for advancement, personal growth, and to fully participate in society.
Trust founder Ian Mattioli, CEO of wealth management company Mattioli Woods, said: “We are delighted to continue our support of the arena, and are proud to accept the naming rights.
“The Mattioli Arena delivers high-quality and high-class events, while at the same time focusing on its community commitments and increasing the profile of the city.
“Leicester has always looked after our family in the very safest of environments and that is why we are delighted to be part of creating a legacy for the diverse communities we support in the city of Leicester and beyond.
“To also be able to do this through sport and a venue that has the potential to impact so many people is something we will continue to take great pride in, and we hope it will be used by many, many people over coming years.”
Kevin Routledge, chairman of Leicester Riders, trustee of the Riders Foundation, and a director of the arena, said: “We are hugely appreciative of the Mattioli family’s generous support, which will enable us to deliver an arena, community services, and events that will continue to make the city proud.”
The 3,000-capacity Mattioli Arena stages an increasingly wide range of national and international sports and entertainment events.
It also provides a wide range of community sports opportunities through the Riders’ extensive underage basketball programmes.
The venue also provides opportunities for Leicester College students, wheelchair basketball users, and other community sport users – making it the largest of its type in the UK.
Last year’s extension is already bringing in significant additional revenue to the city. It consists of a two-court sports hall with a new entrance at the top of Memory Lane.