Conrad Ford

The annual event, dating back to 1983, attracts hundreds of competitors and visitors every year, including Olympic athletes, celebrity entrants, and stone-skimming diehards from around the world.

This year’s 400 entries sold out in a record three minutes.

Allica’s sponsorship forms part of the London-based bank’s ongoing ‘Here is Where the Heart Is’ campaign, which sees the bank support several unique local events across the UK – 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.

Conrad Ford, chief strategy officer at Allica Bank, said: “Events like the World Stone Skimming Championships are exactly the kind of things that make our communities unique in the UK.

“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.

Its latest annual report reveals 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!”

The World Stone Skimming Championships take place this year on Saturday 6 September 2025.