At an event held at Trent Bridge last week, local businesses heard from cricket legend Darren Bicknell of the importance of encouraging and promoting sport among young people and raised almost £830 for SportsAid.
SportsAid, the charity which provides financial support to aspiring sportspeople aged 12 to 18, works with athletes across the region to allow them to reach their full potential and compete on a national and international level.
Tim Lawler, chief executive of SportsAid, has been impressed with the support which has come from the event – sponsored by Nelsons Solicitors, Yorkshire Bank, Trent Bridge, AdamsonJones and PKF Cooper Parry.
He said: “By raising money for SportsAid in this way, the Nottingham Lunch Club continues to make a telling contribution towards supporting young talented athletes from across the region.
“The money generated from these events helps to cover certain training and competition costs, and allows the athletes to focus on their sporting endeavours. It relieves a bit of that financial pressure but also provides them with deserved recognition of their achievements – they are performing to a high level and a SportsAid Award, particularly from their local community, can help provide an additional motivational boost.”
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the charity has supported well known sports stars such as Jessica Ennis-Hill and Sir Steve Redgrave.
Nottingham’s Ellissa Bradford received an award from SportsAid during the event. She was awarded £500 for her achievements in representing the country in BMX cycling. Ellissa recently competed at the BMX World Championship in Columbia and is now UK national number one and ranked ninth in the world. Ellissa is part of the British Cycling Olympic Development Apprentice Programme and is the highest ranked British cyclist in Nottinghamshire, and the only female to represent the county in British cycling.
During the lunch, which attracted almost 50 local business people, guests heard from Darren Bicknell, ex-Nottinghamshire cricketer. Having batted for England in three A-team tours in the early 1990s, he now coaches cricket at Oakham School and is chief executive of the Belvoir Cricket and Countryside Trust – which provides cricketing activities for young people.
If you would like to be involved in the next SportsAid event, contact Eleanor McGuiness on 0115 989 5316 or emailEleanor.mcguiness@nelsonslaw.co.uk.
