Following a successful pilot year of funding in 2010 from the Mayors Sports Legacy Plan, further support of £86,000 in 2011 and again in 2012 has been generously offered to extend and enhance the presence of the Panathlon Challenge in London.
This means that in the three years in the lead up to the Olympics and Paralympics, the Mayor of London will have invested £255,000 in developing grass roots disability sport, through Panathlon.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said, ‘ The Panathlon Challenge is a fantastic competition. It is about taking part, aspiration and achievement, three of the best motivators for young people.”
This will mean with the additional funding from the Football Foundation and the Jack Petchey Foundation in 2011, over £200,000 will be invested in sports coaching, specialist equipment supply and 15 mini-“paralympic type” competitions across London, featuring 2,000 disabled young Londoners.
Kate Hoey, MP for Vauxhall and principal adviser to London Mayor Boris Johnson as Commissioner for Sport, said: “ With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games fast approaching, Panathlon is exactly the kind of initiative that we should all be getting behind. It brings real, competitve sport to those who might otherwise have missed out on involvement. The Mayor and I are both committed to getting as many young people as possible involved in sport. Events like this show that disability need not be any obstacle to participation. Panathlon deserve huge praise for what it is doing.”
The Panathlon Challenge is now in its tenth successful year of delivering sporting opportunities and “mini-paralympic” type competitions for young disabled Londoners. Events kick off in January and culminate in a London Final in June in the sports of Boccia, Polybat, Table Cricket, New Age Kurling, Football and Athletics. .
Danny Crates, Paralympic Champion and Panathlon charity patron said: “ Panathlon is a fantastic opportunity for young disabled Londoners to take part in sporting competition and I thank the Mayor of London for investing through his Sports Participation Fund in expanding Panathlon to every London Borough by 2012.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
· Panathlon Challenge has been delivering competitive opportunities for young disabled Londoners since 1999. It will invest £250,000 in sports equipment and coaching funds in 30 London Boroughs in 2011 and expand to all 32 London Boroughs by 2012. Multisport competitions will take place between January to June 2011. Panathlon will also be working in Essex, Kent, Liverpool and other cities during 2011, involving around 2,500 disabled young people in total.
· Play Sport London , as part of the Mayor’s ‘A Sporting Future for London’ plan, aims to provide free sporting opportunities to Londoners. The Play Sport London programme provides grant funding to sports clubs and community groups in order to encourage greater participation in sport in the build up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Panathlon is offered £172,000 over the next two years from the Mayors Sports Participation Fund. For more information please visit http://www.london.gov.uk/priorities/sport/funding-projects/playsport
- The Football Foundation is providing Panathlon with £242,000 between 2009 and 2011. The Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government. Since it was launched in 2000 the Foundation has funded 178 sports projects for disabled people worth £13m. For more information visit www.footballfoundation.org.uk.
- The Jack Petchey Foundation was established in 1999 and gives grants to programmes and projects that benefit young people aged 11-25. The Foundation is eager to help young people take advantage of opportunities and play a full part in society. The Foundation focuses on London and Essex. Since it has been established the Foundation has awarded grants totalling over £60million. http://www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk
- Panathlon Challenge involves the sports of Football, Athletics, Polybat, Table Cricket, Boccia and Kurling and involves disabled children aged between 5 and 19.
The Panathlon Foundation Charity (1072638) i s funded this year by the Football Foundation, Pjack Petchey Foundation and various trusts and charities.
