Livingston announce new sponsorship deal with VPZ

Livingston Football Club has announced a sponsorship partnership with Edinburgh-based vaping specialist VPZ.

Recently ranked as Scotland’s fastest growing company, VPZ is now the official vaping partner of the Almondvale club.

The partnership with Livingston FC has been announced during national vaping awareness month, VApril. Vaping is emerging as a key weapon in the NHS’s stop smoking strategy.

Public Health England estimates that vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes. Latest figures also show that approximately 2million people in the UK have already quit smoking by switching to vaping, with 500,000 more presently trying to switch.

Furthermore, Cancer Research UK estimates that there are currently 9.4million smokers in the UK who can still potentially switch to vaping.

Doug Mutter, director at VPZ, said: “We are very excited to be launching our partnership with Livingston Football Club during VApril. “Vaping represents a huge public health opportunity and our goal will be to engage with fans to help them make the switch and quit smoking for good.” VPZ was confirmed as Scotland’s fastest growing company in Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track Top 100 league table. The vaping specialist, which has over 100 stores throughout the UK, is now forging ahead with ambitious growth plans to treble its store footprint to 300 in the UK by 2021, as it maintains its commitment of bringing consumers the widest range of quality approved products and access to specialist advisors through more available locations.

Doug added: “Consumer education is crucial too and we will also be investing heavily in our people strategy to ensure our teams are equipped to help smokers understand the evidence based public health opportunity of vaping products so that their positive impact can be maximised.”

Livingston FC vice chairman Neil Hogarth said: “Livingston Football Club is delighted to collaborate with Edinburgh-based VPZ, and wholeheartedly support its campaign to reduce cigarette smoking during VApril.

“Partnerships with local businesses are important to our club, and, if by working together, VPZ and Livingston FC can help NHS Scotland reach its target of reducing cigarette smoking, it will have been an extremely successful collaboration.

Photo 1: Doug Mutter, VPZ Director and Raffa De Vita, Livingston FC.

Photo 2: On pitch at Almondvale stadium – Doug Mutter VPZ, Director with Raffa De Vita, Livingston FC, and Neil Hogarth Livingston FC Vice Chairman.