Businesses have been praised for the support they have given to sporting talent in Suffolk.

Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond, MBE, lauded a group of Ipswich businesses that have provided support for up and coming sportsmen and women.

He said: “We have a very special group of businesses here in Ipswich that have done a huge amount to support talented young sportsmen and women from the county as they battle to excel at the very highest levels."

His comments were made during the Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club event on March 15, in front of 175 business leaders.

Ipswich Star: Paralympian Lord Chris Holmes MBE addressed local business leaders at the fundraising Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club Paralympian Lord Chris Holmes MBE addressed local business leaders at the fundraising Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club (Image: Ashley Pickering)

The Paralympian said: “With the spotlight starting to fall on this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, it reminds us all of the huge effort, sacrifice and expense that athletes have to go through to compete on the greatest stage of all.”

Lord Holmes singled out some businesses in particular, who had financially collaborated with SportsAid Eastern to assist athletes.

They were Pound Gates Chartered Insurance Brokers, Ensors Chartered Accountants, Ellisons Solicitors, StrategiQ, Beckett Financial Services, Handelsbanken, Fenn Wright and Waller Transport.