News
Small And Medium Businesses Called To Sponsor London 2012 Athletes
27/07/2010
By Bob Northgate
Small and medium businesses have been called to support the Team 2012 fund for the British Olympic and Paralympic teams, which is hoped to reach £25 million. The 'Our Team 2012' project for small and medium firms will raise at least £15 million to equip 1,200 athletes with equipment and training.
Companies will be asked to pay £10,000 a year to participate in the two year programme. Employees of the firms will be able to meet athletes, attend related hospitality events, and will be given tickets to UK sports events.
Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said: 'Sports funding has always come from a mixture of exchequer, lottery and private sources... supporting the Olympics is just not something big multinationals can do'. He argued that small and medium businesses in the UK had a part to play in supporting the Olympics.
Team 2012 helps the UK's Olympic and Paralympic athletes with a stream of financial support from private business, shoring up support already provided by the National Lottery and government funds. It is a joint initative by the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and UK Sport.
British Olympic Association chairman Colin Moynihan said that Team 2012 was halfway towards meeting this figure. He said: 'We must get the very best of British performing on the day in London two years hence, and this gives us the opportunity to fund that'. Credit card company Visa is understood to have made a 'major contribution' to the £25 million target.
Rate
Bookmark
