Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, has welcomed the extension of athlete funding through a grassroots charity partnership with Entain Group and SportsAid.
Gwynne met with SportsAid athletes past and present, including five-time Paralympic Equestrian Champion Natasha Baker MBE and three-time Olympian and Olympic rowing medallist Moe Sbihi MBE – some of the 50 aspiring Olympians and Paralympians that Entain are supporting, as part of a three-year extended partnership to fund the next generation of British athletes, were also in attendance.
The meeting in Parliament showcased SportsAid’s rising stars, who were on hand to demonstrate their chosen sports, which included boxing and taekwondo, where MPs were able to watch and learn the techniques and skills involved.
Entain supports over 50 aspiring athletes a year across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland through SportsAid, a charity which is dedicated to supporting the next generation of elite athletes. Each athlete receives an annual financial support to contribute towards training, competition, travel and equipment costs.
The partnership forms part of the wider multi-million Entain grassroots sport programme Pitching In, which also partners with the Trident League Football Clubs, to provide financial support for 245 local clubs in the Northern Premier, Southern and Isthmian Leagues.
Commenting on the Reception, Andrew Gwynne said:
“It’s been such an incredible summer for British Sports, and TeamGB did amazing things at the Olympics and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
It was a real privilege then, to get to meet with some of our future champions, who are being supported by this development programme.
I look forward to cheering them on in 2024!”
Tim Lawler, Chief Executive of SportsAid, stated:
“I would like to thank Andrew for giving up histime to meet our talented athletes. SportsAid plays a vital role in helping the most promising British athletes by providing them with financial support, recognition and personal development opportunities during the critical early stages of their careers.
With Entain’s continued support through these uncertain times, SportsAid can directly support 50 new sporting stars and I would like to thank everyone at the company for their commitment to the work that we do. It really does make a difference.”
See below: Gwynne with future champion boxer George Liddard (L) and the future of Taekwando UK (R)
