SportsAid
What is SportsAid?
SportsAid is the charity for sports people, helping the next generation of young British sportsmen and women to succeed. It's a role they have played for over 30 years. SportsAid provides grants of £500 upwards, per year to promising young athletes across a wide range of sports. It is the only UK charity helping talented young sports people at an age when no-one else does.
'The work of SportsAid is so important to British sport. If you are young, ambitious and just beginning to experience success, SportsAid is where you go for help.' Sir Steve Redgrave – Five time Olympic gold medallist & SportsAid alumnus.
Why does GDF SUEZ partner with SportsAid?
Our partnership with SportsAid is a sign of the commitment of GDF SUEZ to the UK as a responsible company, working with partners in the UK to help young people, many of whom need to overcome financial and/or physical disadvantages. There is also a good fit with GDF SUEZ's sponsorship elsewhere in Europe, where the Group attaches great importance to involvement at grass roots level in the sports it sponsors.
Who do we sponsor?
GDF SUEZ sponsor a number of young sports people around the country, mainly in the fields of athletics and tennis.
One of the athletes we are currently sponsoring is tennis player, Maia Lumsden, age 12.
Maia is currently celebrating a win at the Super Auray Open in France where 1,000 spectators cheered her on to victory. She joins an impressive list of former winners including Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Supported by SportsAid and ourselves, Maia has a bright future ahead of her with the Lawn Tennis Association describing her as 'highly talented, extremely committed and very competitive'. With three hours dedicated training each day, and a healthy rivalry with two siblings who also compete at a national level, there's no wonder that Maia seems to possess all the components of a winner. Dominating in her age group, Maia is ranked number 1 in Great Britain at U12 level and has demonstrated her ability to compete at U14 level too.
To find out more about SportsAid, visit www.sportsaid.org.uk.
Street Athletics
What is Street Athletics?
Street Athletics, launched in 2005 by Linford Christie's Nuff Respect organisation, is a series of community focussed events throughout the UK where all youngsters are invited to race against each other over 60 metres, giving them the chance to compete in a Grand Final in Manchester to become 'Champion of the Street' and win a year's kit supply from Nike. The ultimate aim is that young people from all areas feel welcome to actively take part, providing the opportunity to broaden their existing horizons within sport and other non-sports related areas. In 2009, Linford Christie, Darren Campbell and the rest of Street Athletics visited over 20 different venues to hold races as well as hosting a number of training events to prepare the youngsters for the final.
How and why are we working with them?
The GDF SUEZ Group has long been involved in sport and particularly athletics. This opportunity represents a practical way to show its long-term commitment to developing sport at grass roots level. Commenting on the partnership, Darren Campbell of Street Athletics, said: 'We are proud that we have been selected by GDF SUEZ, a group that is renowned for its involvement in international sport at the highest levels. We look forward to working with them to enable as many talented young people as possible to achieve their sporting goals.'
To find out more visit www.streetathletics.co.uk