You can help the future of our sport by supporting SportsAid Week 2019 this September! The week of fun and fundraising is open to everyone as Olympians, Paralympians, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), schools, universities, commercial organisations and individual supporters come together once again to give their backing to the next generation of talented young athletes.
SportsAid Week 2019 takes place from 23-29 September.
SportsAid helps over 1,000 athletes across more than 60 sports each year, the majority aged 12 to 18, by providing them with an average award of £1,000. That includes basketball and a number of our top prospects have accessed the fund in recent years. SportsAid Week is a fundraising drive designed to support the country’s most talented young sports stars as they strive to represent Team GB and ParalympicsGB at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.
All the money raised assists athletes with training and competition costs, including equipment, accommodation and transport, during the critical early stages of their careers. The initiative also acts as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on SportsAid and the work the charity does to provide athletes and their parents with support at the beginning of the talent pathway.
SportsAid Week really is for everyone. You can sign up for a fundraising pack using the button at the bottom of this page and take the first step towards planning your involvement. It really is up to you as to how you show your support - whether it's on your own or with friends, family or colleagues, or as part of your club or basketball organisation! You decide the size of your event, no matter how big or small, and see how much you can fundraise for the charity!
Here are some simple fundraising ideas:
These are just a few ideas for fundraising activity you could undertake which have proven to be popular in previous years. Please email Grace Hughes, SportsAid's Partnership and Activation Manager, on [email protected] if you have any questions about SportsAid Week 2019 and she’ll look to assist with your plans for September!
The #MyMiles Challenge is back….and it’s bigger and better than ever! The idea was inspired by data from SportsAid’s athlete survey which revealed that talented young athletes cover around 40 miles, on average, in training every week. The challenge is encouraging fundraisers to undertake physical activity throughout the whole of September.
You can choose your own distance, do a #MyMiles Marathon of 26.2 miles or reach 40 miles to match the athletes. There's lots of inspiration you can take from last year's activity on how best to undertake the challenge. Please visit www.sportsaid.org.uk/mymiles for more information.
The money you raise during SportsAid Week will help to support athletes in many different ways - no matter how big or small the amount may be! They don't just feel the impact of SportsAid’s backing from a financial point of view - the award acts as a motivational boost and provides recognition of their talent as they look to progress towards their sporting ambitions.
Leicester Riders’ Holly Winterburn is a rising star in the game and has recently secured a scholarship to Oregon University, USA. She has accessed SportsAid funding to help her journey as a young player: “SportsAid has helped me so much over the years. It has enabled me to support my parents with travel and accommodation costs, as well as physio and equipment needs. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support.”
Money raised really can make a difference in our sport, so click the button below to sign up for a free fundraising pack and get planning for September!
