The partnership between Entain and sports charity SportsAid has been renewed, with the operator doubling its financial commitment to £500,000.
In addition to providing monetary support for athletes, Entain and SportsAid will cooperate on supplying personal development opportunities and recognition to athletes, such as workshops providing advice on topics such as nutrition, mental wellbeing and media relations.
The support will be unrolled ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the partnership having been in place since 2018, distributing awards to over 150 athletes for sponsorship and event fundraising.
Grainne Hurst, group director of corporate affairs at Entain, said: “Following the incredible performance from British athletes at this year’s Olympic Games and the Paralympics getting under way in Tokyo, we are delighted to extend our SportsAid partnership for a further three years.
“Our collaboration with SportsAid is a huge source of pride for everyone at Entain and plays a pivotal role in supporting the next generation of British sporting heroes.”
The partnership’s current support includes 50 aspiring athletes a year from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland with an annual financial support package contributing towards training, competition, travel and equipment costs.
Additionally, 48 of the SportsAid alumni representing the team have received financial support from the charity since Rio 2016 and its Team GB athletes won 46 medals across 20 sports.
Meanwhile, 165 of the 227 Paralympics GB team members at the latest games received financial support from SportsAid during their careers.
“Entain’s extended commitment will take us all the way up to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 and comes at a very important time for talented young athletes – particularly following a challenging period over the last 18 months,” commented Tim Lawler, SportsAid CEO.
“Our partnership with Entain has continued to evolve year-on-year and the well-rounded support provided to these aspiring young sports stars gives them added confidence and motivation to pursue their ambitions. We have also seen an increased awareness of SportsAid and a much wider audience is hearing the stories behind the next generation of sporting heroes.”
Danny Crates, a Paralympic gold and bronze medallist and SportsAid ambassador, added: “Talented young athletes need the right support, at the right time, to help them fulfil their potential and ultimately achieve their ambitions.
“SportsAid has maintained a crucial presence across British sport over the last 45 years – playing an important role in the country’s international success throughout that time.”
The renewal builds on Entain’s support for the Pitching In grassroots football project, a multi-million pound partnership which the company has been involved in since December 2020.
