Sportsmatch report boost for Disability Sport
by Sarah Marl
The listing was posted by DSE - Sponsorship
Interest in sponsorship of disability sport has never been higher with many large companies making significant investments in national projects and many smaller companies also using disability sport to promote their products more locally.
Sportsmatch, the Government's incentive scheme for sponsorship of grass roots sport, reports a 30 per cent increase in the number of sporting projects that now include provision for disabled people.
Currently just over five per cent of Sportsmatch awards are made to groups specifically representing disabled groups but more than a quarter of all events have facilities to allow participation by disabled people.
In the past year more than 100 grass roots sports schemes with a substantial element of activities for disabled people have attracted sponsorship and matching Sportsmatch awards. Of these schemes 17 have come from disability organisations and Sportsmatch is keen to increase this proportion.
"We have comfortably exceeded our targets for disability sport but feel that awareness of the benefits Sportsmatch - which doubles the sponsor's investment in grass roots sport money - may be quite low among many groups who stand to gain most from the sponsorships we encourage," said Sandra Smith, Sportsmatch's scheme manager for development projects.
"Sportsmatch also offers guidance on how to attract sponsors and how to keep them involved long-term and through the Institute of Sports Sponsorship, which runs the scheme in England, there are resource materials and advice to help further", Sandra added.
For further information:
Martin Cannon 01494 876542
Sandra Smith 020 7233 7747
Website: www.sportsmatch.co.uk