Leading UK housebuilder Persimmon Homes has become an official partner of Team GB and will support the organisation for the next three years through to Tokyo 2020 and beyond.
At the heart of the new partnership is Persimmon’s new £1million-a-year nationwide funding scheme, Building Futures, which the housebuilder officially launched today.
Team GB will support the Building Futures programme, which aims to assist community sports, education and arts and health initiatives for under 18s.
The scheme is being delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation, which last year donated £620,000 to support children’s sport.
Building Futures is even more ambitious than last year’s scheme and is aimed solely at community projects for under 18s and targeted at grassroots sports groups, community groups dealing with physical and mental health issues and awareness as well as arts and education projects.
Locally, a total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded each year across Persimmon’s 31 regional businesses and its head office to improve facilities and the delivery of vital grassroots community projects.
Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national award scheme voted on by the public.
In each sector – Sport, Health and Education – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.
Becoming an official partner of the British Olympic Association (BOA) through until 2021, Persimmon’s initiative will see Team GB Olympians attend community projects the length-and-breadth of the United Kingdom to personally present funds and see first-hand the impact the donations have on local communities.
Building Futures was launched at The Heart of England Community Boxing Club in Burbage, near Hinckley, just months after it received a £200,000 cheque from the Persimmon Foundation. The cash helped to save the club from collapse and enabled it to continue to help around 80 young people each week overcome issues such as ADHD, autism, anti-social behaviour and bullying, as well as offering dietary advice to its members and tips on how to keep fit.
Young people at the club were treated to a sparring session with London 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ogogo as part of the Team GB link-up.
British Olympic Association Commercial Director, Tim Ellerton, said: “Funding of community facilities is an acutely important topic and we’re pleased to be working on this initiative with the Persimmon Foundation. Over the next few years millions of pounds will be invested in new facilities and Team GB athlete visits will take place all over the country, all supporting schemes that will engage young people to make their communities stronger and better.
“The support of our partners enables us to take athletes to the Olympic Games and, without their funding, we would not be able to provide the platform for them to inspire the nation, be that in the boxing ring, in the pool or on the track.”
Persimmon Homes marketing director Mark Cook said: “Persimmon creates hundreds of new communities every year and funds thousands of community initiatives. Building Futures will allow us to help even more children and the support of Team GB will ensure we reach a much wider audience.
“Alongside Building Futures, Persimmon will also be launching an initiative to retrain and find jobs for retiring athletes, supporting them through and beyond their sporting careers.”
The British Olympic Association is funded entirely independently, receiving no public funds, and relies on the generosity of its commercial partners, patrons and donors.
