BNY Mellon and Newton, a boutique of BNY Mellon Investment Management, announced the launch of their new 2015 BNY Mellon Boat Races Charity Partnership in the UK which this year is with British charity SportsAid. SportsAid’s patron is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.
Significantly, 2015 will for the first time in history see the Oxford and Cambridge University Women’s Boat Clubs race over the same Putney to Mortlake course and on the same day as the men.
Over the next 12 months athletics star Nicholas Petrou, 18, from Leeds, West Yorks, will receive both financial and moral support from BNY Mellon, along with 29 other talented athletes.
Nicholas said: “The money will go towards a sports pass at my track and gym membership there.
“It would also be put towards competition and training kit, and also spent on travelling and accommodation.”
The 30 SportsAid athletes will be supported by BNY Mellon or Newton members of staff, or Buddies, who will develop the athletes’ media and PR skills, as well as attend health and nutrition workshops among many other initiatives.
SportsAid is dedicated to helping the next generation of British sports stars by giving them financial support and recognition during the critical early years of their careers. These athletes are typically aged 12 to 18 and are among the UK’s brightest hopes for future Olympic and Paralympic success.
Research published by SportsAid in 2014 showed that these athletes:
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Face huge financial pressures, travelling more than 150 miles and training for more than 15 hours every week on top of school or college commitments
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Spend around £6,000 a year on their sport with no other financial support beyond their family.
At this stage of an athlete’s career sponsorship deals can be hard to find, so most rely entirely on their family and SportsAid for financial support.
At the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, almost two-thirds of the British team were former – and in a few cases current – recipients of SportsAid’s support, winning 20 Olympic and 27 Paralympic gold medals between them.
Michael Cole-Fontayn, BNY Mellon’s EMEA Chairman, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to announce our new partnership with SportsAid, through which we will support 30 young athletes from a range of sporting disciplines over the next 12 months.
“Each of our fantastic athletes will be paired with a BNY Mellon or Newton Buddy and will spend the next year showing their Buddy a thing or two about how to be a champion, be it on the court, in the pool, round the track or even in the office,” added Cole-Fontayn. “In return the Buddies will host their athletes at a number of developmental events, such as a media and PR skills seminar, a health and nutrition workshop and an employee Sports Day.”
Tim Lawler, SportsAid’s Chief Executive, welcomed the news saying: “These athletes are some of our brightest prospects and will find this support from BNY Mellon and Newton absolutely invaluable. They already give everything to sport so the extra training, recognition and funding will be a massive confidence boost that could make a lifelong impact on them. If everyone watching the boat races this year gets behind the next generation with SportsAid, British sport will be in great shape for the future.”
Visit www.sportsaid.org.uk/ for more information on their great work.
