Seven Ipswich businesses, dubbed the ‘magnificent seven’, have been praised for their role in supporting Suffolk’s future sporting stars.
Winter Olympics bob skeleton gold medallist Amy Williams and Ipswich basketball star Maya Price were the guests of honour at the latest Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club.
The club hosts twice-yearly lunches at Wherstead Park in Ipswich to raise money for SportsAid in Suffolk, which supports aspiring athletes. It has raised and given out £200,000 since launching 10 years ago.
Over 240 business leaders attended the last event last month. Pound Gates Insurance Brokers, Ensors Chartered Accountants, Handelsbanken, Ellisons Solicitors, Concertus, StrategiQ, and Picasso HR, which sponsor the event, have been praised for their ongoing support.
Roger Fennemore, regional director of SportsAid, said: “The seven businesses behind the Ipswich Sporting Lunch Club are making a massive difference to the lives of talented up and coming young sportsmen and women from across Suffolk.
“SportsAid helps young athletes to overcome the financial obstacles they face in their bid to become Britain’s next generation of Olympians, Paralympians and world champions. The cost of their sport is one of their greatest challenges and despite already representing Great Britain at competitions all over the world, most receive no funding beyond what SportsAid provides.
“Without the contribution that businesses like this make to our fundraising efforts we wouldn’t be able to help many of these super talented young people from Suffolk. I would therefore like to extend a huge vote of thanks to them all and to everybody that supports the lunches for the tremendous contribution they are making.”
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