Request Your SportsAid Week 2018 Fundraising Pack Today – Just One Month To Go!

YOU can make a real difference to the future of British sport by supporting SportsAid Week 2018 this September! The week of fun and fundraising will see Olympians, Paralympians, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), schools, universities, commercial organisations and kind-hearted individuals rallying together to give their backing to the next generation of athletes.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REQUEST YOUR SPORTSAID WEEK FUNDRAISING PACK 

Fundraising is a key income stream for the charity, and the annual initiative, launched in 2016, has generated over £90,000 in its opening two years. There are so many ways for you to get involved and SportsAid would love to hear from you to help plan your activity. Here’s all you need to know about SportsAid Week 2018, which takes place from 24-30 September, to get started….

WHAT IS SPORTSAID WEEK ALL ABOUT?

SportsAid helps over 1,000 athletes across more than 60 sports each year, the majority aged 12 to 18, by providing them with an average award of £1,000. SportsAid Week is a fundraising drive designed to support the country’s brightest sporting prospects as they strive to represent Team GB and ParalympicsGB at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.       

All the money raised assists young sports stars with training and competition costs, including equipment, accommodation and transport, during the critical early stages of their careers. The initiative also acts as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on SportsAid and the work the charity does to provide athletes and their parents with support at the beginning of the talent pathway.

Adam Peaty, Ellie Simmonds and Lutalo Muhammad all previously received the charity’s support and are SportsAid Week ambassadors. Ellie and Lutalo are returning to the roles for the second consecutive year. They are joined by Laura Wright, the UK’s leading classical artist who has performed at many major sporting events, who has been a key supporter of SportsAid since 2015.

HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?

Signing up for a fundraising pack is the best first step towards getting involved in SportsAid Week! It really is up to you as to how you show your support - whether it's on your own or with friends, family and colleagues. You decide the size of your event - no matter how big or small....

• The #MyMiles Challenge (more below!)
• Sponsored bike rides, rows, runs, swims, walks and team triathlons
• Bake sales
• Healthy eating challenges
• Sports quizzes
• Athlete demonstrations
• Fancy dress days
• Bucket collections
• Raffles

These are just a few ideas for fundraising activity you could undertake which have been particularly popular in previous years. Please email Grace Hughes, SportsAid's Partnership and Activation Manager, on sportsaidweek@sportsaid.org.uk if you have any questions about SportsAid Week 2018.

THE #MYMILES CHALLENGE IS BACK!

The #MyMiles Challenge was developed in SportsAid Week 2017 to demonstrate the incredible dedication, commitment and sacrifice shown by young athletes. The social media campaign will once again ask fundraisers to undertake physical activity, covering a distance of their choice, to support the country's brightest sporting prospects and help raise money towards the SportsAid Week total. 

The #MyMiles total reached 5,741 miles on its SportsAid Week debut and the aim is to beat this in 2018! #MyMiles is accessible to everybody – you can do a single mile or as many as 43 – the distance a SportsAid athlete clocks up each week in training! There's lots of inspiration you can take from last year's activity on how best to keep young athletes company.

Here's a step-by-step guide to the #MyMiles Challenge....

• Physically cover a distance of your choice (one mile minimum) via any form of exercise (if it's not easy to record the distance of your activity - 20 minutes = one mile)

 

• Post a video or photo on social media upon completion - include the distance you've covered, tag SportsAid (see social media handles below at the bottom of this page) and use #MyMiles

 

• Don't forget to nominate a friend, family member or colleague to continue the chain - make sure to remind them to donate upon completion!

 

• Finish by texting 'WEEK40 £2' to 70070 to help Britain's brightest sporting prospects during the critical early stages of their careers

THE #MYMILES SCHOOLS CHALLENGE

SportsAid Week is joining up with the European Week of Sport this year to encourage young people to #BeActive through the #MyMiles Schools Challenge. Schools are able to get involved by asking every pupil to complete a minimum of one mile in SportsAid Week.

This can be in a PE lesson, at lunchtime or during an after school activity, with all pupils encouraged to donate £1 to take part. There will be a dedicated #MyMiles Schools Day on Tuesday 25 September, but if that doesn't work for you, choose any date within the week.

SportsAid has produced a simple-to-follow guide - FREE to download here (http://www.sportsaid.org.uk/media/15770/sportsaid-week-schools-mymiles-challenge.pdf) - on how schools can take part in the #MyMiles Schools Challenge. You can also order your free #MyMiles pack for schools by registering your details with the charity here (https://bit.ly/2LaRWId).

HOW DOES FUNDRAISING HELP?

The money you raise during SportsAid Week will help to support athletes in many different ways - no matter how big or small the amount! They don't just feel the impact of SportsAid's backing financially though - they also see the award as a motivational boost and a recognition of their talent as they look to progress forward with their careers.

• £5 will help one of Britain's best young athletes get to their next training session
• £10 will help a disabled footballer purchase new shinpads
• £25 will help a young gymnast pay for a pair of wrist supports
• £50 will help a young kayaker replace a damaged helmet
• £100 will help a young athlete visit a physio for rehabilitation from an injury
• £500 will help a young boxer travel to their next major international competition
• £1,000 will provide a full year's worth of support for a SportsAid athlete

You can keep up-to-date with all the SportsAid Week 2018 activity before, during and after by following the charity on Twitter (https://bit.ly/2nX5UEk), Instagram (https://bit.ly/2OVkO9M) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SportsAid/). Thanks for your support!