Hollis Sponsorship Bulletin

Sainsbury’s is to become the headline sponsor of the UK School Games, a major multi-sport event showcasing the UK’s most talented young athletes of school age.  The event will be known as the Sainsbury’s UK School Games.
The UK School Games were launched by the sports charity the Youth Sport Trust in 2006 to provide elite young athletes with experience of a high profile competition, with an athletes’ village and opening and closing ceremonies, to replicate the Olympics and Paralympics or Commonwealth Games.
Gwyn Burr, Sainsbury’s Customer Director, commenting on the deal, said: “Sainsbury’s shares the Youth Sport Trust’s belief in the power of sport to help young people gain the skills and experience which are not just important in sport, but in everyday life. Life is competitive and sport offers young people opportunities to learn how to win and lose, work in a team and strive to be the best they can be. The UK School Games captures everything that is good about young people wanting to compete, volunteer and officiate in sport. We are extremely proud to be helping young people of all ages and abilities to participate in activity and sport at every level through our Active Kids scheme, our TOP activity programme and now our sponsorship of the UK School Games.”
The 2010 Sainsbury’s UK School Games, from September 2-5, will see Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland unite as hosts, reflecting the passion of sport in the North East of England. More than 1,600 young athletes will compete across ten sports: athletics, badminton, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, hockey, judo, swimming, table tennis and volleyball, with disability events in swimming athletics and table tennis.
Steve Grainger, Youth Sport Trust’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sainsbury’s as the headline sponsor for the UK School Games. With over 1,600 of the UK’s brightest young sporting talent expected to compete in the North East of England across ten Olympic and Paralympic sports and hundreds of young people officiating, volunteering and becoming sporting ambassadors at the event – the UK School Games are a real celebration of sport for young people.”
The UK School Games’ other key funding partner is the Legacy Trust UK who provide a significant grant to support delivery of the event’s theme through 2011. Its Chief Executive Moira Swinbank said: “Legacy Trust UK is proud to be funding the UK School Games and we are thrilled that Sainsbury’s are making such a significant contribution to the Games. By funding these Games, we are helping to ensure that young athletes from around the country have the opportunity to experience high-level sporting competition early in their lives.”
The Youth Sport Trust has been working in partnership with Sainsbury’s since September 2005. They support the Sainsbury’s TOP Activity programme which focuses on offering ‘alternative’ sports and physical activities to young people aged seven to 11 years who may not be accessing physical activity through traditional routes.
Sainsbury’s TOP Activity is supported by Sainsbury’s as part of its hugely successful Active Kids campaign which has provided over £86m worth of activity, cooking and gardening equipment and active experiences to schools and Scout and Guide groups across the UK since 2005.