Why a business bank is backing one of Scotland’s quirkiest sporting events – for the second year running
Fintech challenger bank Allica has renewed its sponsorship of the World Stone Skimming Championships, doubling down on its support for grassroots events and the local communities that power the UK economy.
Held on the tiny Isle of Easdale in the Inner Hebrides and dating back to 1983, the World Stone Skimming Championships attract hundreds of competitors and visitors each year – including Olympic athletes, celebrity entrants, and stone-skimming diehards from around the world!
While the event doesn’t need much help drawing a crowd – with this year’s 400 entries selling out in a record 3 minutes – Allica Bank’s continued backing is rooted in something bigger: a belief that local communities and the established small and medium-sized businesses within them deserve more recognition, support and celebration.
The sponsorship forms part of Allica’s ongoing ‘Here is Where the Heart Is’ campaign, which sees the bank support several unique local events across the UK — also including the World Pooh Sticks Championships in Oxfordshire, the Town Crier Championships in Worcestershire, the Peashoot Championships in Cambridgeshire and the Conker Championships in Northamptonshire. It says the campaign is a way to spotlight the people, businesses and places that are the beating heart of the UK.
“Events like the World Stone Skimming Championships are exactly the kind of things that make our communities unique in the UK,” said Conrad Ford, chief strategy officer at Allica Bank “They’ve often been run for decades by volunteers with the support of local community groups and businesses, and are a highlight of the local calendar. It’s important they get the support they need to last for many more decades to come.
“It might seem unusual for a bank to sponsor these kinds of events, but it’s these local connections and stories that we know are important to our customers, who themselves are critical parts of their communities. That’s why you’ll see Allica turning up where others won’t.”
Allica is a challenger business bank built especially to serve established SMEs with five to 250 employees and is the UK’s fastest-growing fintech ever, according to Deloitte. It revealed in its latest annual report that it has already lent over £3 billion to established businesses and has recently seen rapid growth of its business current account, designed especially to make banking more rewarding and powerful for business owners.
Kyle Mathews, an organiser of the World Stone Skimming Championships, said, “We’re incredibly grateful to Allica for supporting us again this year. The Stone Skimming Championships is entirely volunteer run and self-funded, so it’s crucial that we get this kind of investment to keep going.
“The championships are something the Easedale community is really proud of, and it brings a lot of people to the island, driving welcome trade to our businesses. I’m really looking forward to this year’s event!”
With many UK SMEs located in coastal or rural areas like Easdale, the bank is on a mission to give these businesses the support they deserve and bring much-needed energy and attention to local economies.
The World Stone Skimming Championships take place this year on Saturday, 6 September 2025.