Team 2012 Proves Successful
10 Dec 2009 15:00
Team 2012 was launched in September at the Olympic Park in London to raise private sector funds for Olympic and Paralympic sport in the UK. Visa seized the opportunity for involvement in the largest national team ever sponsored and became the Presenting Partner, and since then companies and wealthy Donors across the country have begun stepping forward to contribute to the ‘cause’.
Behind Team 2012 is a partnership between UK Sport, the London Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), the British Olympic Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association (BPA). Team 2012 is aimed at supporting the UK’s world class athletes with funds being used to pay for coaching, sports science, medicine and research, competition travel and a personal award designed to allow athletes to train full time.
And today UK Sport announced that £6.5 million of new funds raised through Team 2012 would be delivered through its World Class Performance Programme in the build up to London 2012. The result is that, at a time when many competitor nations are struggling to secure resources, the UK’s Olympic and Paralympic sports are now better placed to maximise their potential for success in 2012.
It has been the commitment of the athletes’ themselves that has ensured the programme’s success with athletes making appearances on behalf of Team 2012 throughout the nations and regions. Zoe Smith, a Weightlifter from Abbey Wood demonstrates that support when he says that “it’s great to be in Team 2012 and to be playing a part in this opportunity to raise funds. I’m hoping to make an impact in 2012 so I’m hoping that extra funding through Team 2012 will ensure British Athletes like me are best prepared”.
Sir Matt Pinsent, four time Olympic gold medallist and Team 2012 Chairman of Fundraising Appeal, said “Team 2012 now plays a crucial part in ensuring that Team GB and Paralympics GB are as fully represented as possible. The fact that we’ve been able to contribute £6.5 million is fantastic and we know the funding will produce results with this announcement coming at the end of another really successful year where the overwhelming majority of sports have shown progress on the journey to the London Games – 43 medals were won in 2009 at World and European level in Olympic disciplines and 149 in Paralympic disciplines.”
The target for Team 2012 is £25 million so work has only just begun. 2010 will see efforts to secure further support from amongst the family of Olympic and Paralympic sponsors while the search for more Donors continues, now with the help of 20 Team 2012 ‘Ambassadors’. Said Sophie Mason, Fundraising Director at the BOA “I think watching the teams in Beijing has been a real inspiration to everyone, there is an amazing level of support for what we’re trying to do, so many people want to get involved and support our athletes. Given this passion for involvement we have to find ways for different groups to get involved and the next area of focus will be SMEs. In the New Year we will be launching a Team 2012 Regional Business Club designed for the nations and regions and with the SME in mind. 2009 has been another stellar year for British Olympic and Paralympic sport and lots of people want to come on the journey to 2012 with us; Team 2012 will make them welcome”.