England Athletics has officially launched its Personal Best Foundation – a new charity that uses the power of athletics to support disadvantaged children and young people across England.
To mark the start of the Personal Best Foundations’ work to deliver against its core mission – “to identify, understand, and address the challenges facing children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds through the power of athletics – and to work collaboratively and creatively to remove barriers, increase participation, improve inclusion and reduce inequalities” – SportsGiving were proud to attend the launch event on 18 November at Drapers Hall, London. Sports stars, friends of athletics, and special guests attended the event to show their support and help raise vital funds for the Foundation. SportsGiving were joined by We were joined by fellow RIA Foundation Members ARION, ASICS, Coopah, Every Run Counts, JogOn, NOBULL, Red Bull, Run Mummy Run, SummitVisions and Threshold Sports and Wings for Life, along with RIA Co-Leads Jonathan and Rebecca.
Olympic and Paralympic athletes Christine Ohuruogu, Kelly Sotherton, Marilyn Okoro, and Vanessa Wallace were among those attending, which helped shine a light on the challenges facing 4 million children across the UK living with inequality and poverty.
It was also an opportunity to hear real-life stories of the Foundation’s trustees and ambassadors, including former world champion and record-holder Fatima Whitbread, who spoke about overcoming childhood trauma to become one of Great Britain’s most successful and best-loved athletes.
Also in the room were members of the record-breaking Team England from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games including Tom Bosworth, Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker, and Abigail Irozuru, as well as rising stars from Thames Valley Harriers Athletics Club and Track Academy who shared their inspirational accounts of how athletics has made a significant contribution to their young lives.
An impressive collection of auction items on the night helped raise more than £20,000 for the Personal Best Foundation.
Please head to the Personal Best Foundation website to read the official write-up of the event and to find out more about the charity.
