SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
SportsAid Week 2020 (21-27 September) sees GVC Holdings announce the 51-young athletes the FTSE firm is supporting through its partnership with SportsAid.
GVC and SportsAid enter year-2 of their strategic collaboration, initially formed through the GVC Foundation which appointed SportsAid as lead sports beneficiary of GVC’s £2 million ‘community fund’.
New partnership objectives, see GVC brand SportsAid as a keystone partner in its recently announced ‘Pitching In’ investment programme, providing support to grassroots sports clubs/organisations facing unprecedented challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The programme was launched at the start of September with GVC establishing a ‘Pitching In Trident Leagues’ partnership, providing much needed financial support for nonleague football.
“We are really proud to be supporting the next generation of British sporting heroes through our Pitching In programme and see our partnership with SportsAid go from strength-to-strength.” commented Grainne Hurst, GVC’s Group Director of Corporate Affairs
“We’re thrilled that the funding is helping to provide opportunities for the nation’s brightest sporting talent, at a time when grassroots sport is under increasing financial strain.”
Merged with Pitching In directives, GVC’s collaboration with SportsAid continues with the announcement of a further 51 young UK athletes set to benefit from the programme.
Among those receiving support are 10 athletes, five Para athletes, three hockey players, three rowers and three rugby union players as well as many more from other sports including boxing, wheelchair basketball and skiing.
GVC makes a special mention of Croydon Harriers sprinter Cheyanne Evans-Gray a colleague of Ladbrokes Coral and Tokyo 2021 prospect, who recently broke the British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships record over 60m.
Evans-Gray said: “I feel overwhelmed and am really grateful for the support from Sports Aid. I’m in training to compete at The Olympics and hopefully win gold and this funding means that I can afford to fund more training and it will give me a helping hand in buying some new kit. The mentoring programme will mean so much to me too.”
Partnership commitments, see GVC providing SportsAid funding to help towards the cost of training, travel and equipment, as well as expert advice and guidance on a broad range of topics including nutrition, time management, training and dealing with the media.
Further Notable athletes to benefit from the partnership are archer Eleanor Piper, rifle shooter Ruth Mwandumba, track and field star Joel Clarke-Khan, para table tennis player Craig Allen and wheelchair basketball talent Ross Davidson.
GVC backed young athletes follow in the footsteps of Team GB Olympian greats’ Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sir Mo Farah, Dame Sarah Storey and Ellie Simmonds OBE – all of whom received SportsAid support.
Tim Lawler, SportsAid’s Chief Executive, said: “Confirming support for a new cohort of talented young athletes is always exciting and this continued commitment from GVC is very welcome news in these uncertain times. Recognising and encouraging the next generation to develop their potential has arguably never been more important, and we are thrilled to see our partnership with GVC going from strength to strength.”
