There are some partnerships that just make perfect sense.
For us at IMP & MAKER, the Lincolnshire-based corporate gifting and luxury hamper company, becoming an official partner of the Imps is one of them.
We’re incredibly proud to announce that IMP & MAKER is now a Gold Partner, joining a brilliant group of Lincolnshire businesses supporting the club as it steps into a new chapter in the EFL Championship.
And what better way to mark the occasion than by having the League One trophy turn up at our factory?
From Lincolnshire, for Lincolnshire
For us, this partnership is about much more than football.
IMP & MAKER was built in Lincolnshire. Our roots are firmly here, from our family farming background to the business we’ve grown in the county, and Lincoln is very much home.
Our founder, Sarah Louise Fairburn, has always believed that successful Lincolnshire businesses have a responsibility to support the place that helped them grow.
That’s why seeing City continue to grow, invest and put Lincolnshire firmly on the map is something we’re genuinely excited to be part of.
Sarah Louise’s children all go to school in Lincoln, and the county has been a huge part of both her personal and professional life. So when an opportunity came along to support the city’s football club at such an exciting point in its history, it felt like a very natural fit.
What a season for the Imps
And, of course, there’s a rather impressive reason why the League One trophy has been making the rounds.
The 2025/26 season was a historic one for City.
The Imps were crowned Sky Bet League One champions, securing the title with a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers in April. It was their first League One title and secured a return to the second tier of English football for the first time since the 1960/61 season.
But it wasn’t just the promotion that made the season remarkable.
City finished with 103 points, 31 wins and just five defeats, winning the league by 12 points. They also put together a record-breaking 29-match unbeaten run, the longest unbeaten run ever achieved in League One.
So when the trophy arrived at IMP & MAKER, it’s safe to say there was a little bit of excitement.
A trophy in the office and a partnership for the future
Having the trophy visit IMP & MAKER was a brilliant moment for our team.
We’re a business that loves a reason to celebrate, after all.
But what made the visit particularly special was what the trophy represents: ambition, investment, teamwork and the belief that you can build something bigger while staying true to where you come from.
Those are values we recognise very strongly at IMP & MAKER.
We’ve watched Lincoln City grow not just on the pitch, but as a business and as an organisation. The club has made significant strides in recent years, and its move into the Championship represents another huge opportunity for the city and the wider county.
For Lincolnshire, having a club competing at this level brings attention, visitors, investment and a huge amount of pride.
And we think that matters.
Supporting Lincoln City through events and corporate gifting
Our relationship with the Imps goes back much further than this new partnership.
For around four years, Sarah Louise has worked closely with Lincoln City Foundation, the club’s charitable arm, which uses the reach of Lincoln City Football Club to support communities across Lincolnshire through programmes covering health and wellbeing, education and employability, community cohesion, sport and physical activity.
IMP & MAKER has also regularly supported Foundation events, including providing our branded chocolates for events and special occasions over the years.
It’s something that connects closely with what we do every day at IMP & MAKER.
From thoughtful client gifts and employee rewards to branded corporate gifts, event gifting and luxury hampers, we believe the best corporate gifting should do more than simply arrive on someone’s desk.
It should create a moment.
A chance to say thank you, celebrate a success, recognise someone’s contribution or strengthen an important business relationship.
So this partnership isn’t something that has appeared overnight. It’s the next step in a relationship that has been growing for years.
Supporting the businesses and people around us
One of the things we love most about Lincolnshire is that it has an incredibly strong business community.
There are ambitious businesses doing brilliant things here, from farming and food production to manufacturing, hospitality, retail, technology and professional services.
And we believe those businesses should support each other.
That’s one of the reasons becoming a Lincoln City partner is so exciting for us.
We’re not just putting our name alongside a football club. We’re becoming part of a network of Lincolnshire businesses that are helping to support something bigger than their own organisations.
Lincoln City itself describes its commercial partnerships as relationships designed to build long-term value for businesses, the club and the wider community.
That feels very aligned with how we like to do business.
Creating memorable experiences for our corporate gifting customers
There’s another part of the partnership that we’re particularly looking forward to.
As part of our hospitality opportunities with the club, we’ll be able to invite some of our corporate customers along to watch the Imps.
For us, that’s about creating experiences rather than simply handing someone a ticket.
It’s the same philosophy we bring to corporate gifting.
Whether we’re helping a company thank its most important clients, reward employees, celebrate a milestone, create branded gifts for an event or plan its corporate Christmas gifting, we want the end result to feel considered and memorable.
Because the best client relationships aren’t built through transactions alone. They’re built through experiences, thoughtful gestures and moments people remember.
Our customers have supported IMP & MAKER as we’ve grown, and being able to bring them into our home county, introduce them to other Lincolnshire businesses and enjoy a match together is something we’re really looking forward to.
There’s something even better about doing business over a good meal, a football match and, naturally, a few IMP & MAKER treats.
Proud to be part of what’s next
The Imps are heading into the Championship with serious momentum behind it.
After a record-breaking League One campaign, a trophy lift and promotion, the next chapter is a big one.
And we’re delighted that IMP & MAKER gets to be part of it.
For us, this is about backing a club that represents our city, supporting the wider Lincolnshire business community and celebrating what can happen when local organisations have ambition and invest in their future.
We’re proud to be a Lincolnshire business.
We’re proud to support Lincoln City.
And we’re very excited to see what comes next.
Up the Imps. ❤️🤍
Looking for corporate gifts that MAKE an IMPression?
From memorable client gifts and employee rewards to branded corporate gifts, luxury hampers and corporate Christmas gifting, IMP & MAKER helps businesses turn gifting into something people genuinely remember.
Whether you’re gifting to ten people or planning a campaign for hundreds, our team can help you create an experience that feels considered, premium and unmistakably on-brand.
