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New partnership will see a whole host of activities that will entertain and engage the British public to raise money in the run up to the highly anticipated international event
Money raised will help tackle important issues in the UK and around the world, including mental health problems, gender equality and supporting young people to reach their full potential
Sport Relief and the great British public have together raised over £419m over the years to support millions of lives in the UK and around the world
Announcement marks a significant change to the Sport Relief brand as it becomes a year-round stream of activities, including supporting major events, instead of a bi-annual fundraiser
Sport Relief is run by Comic Relief. For more information visit www.comicrelief.com/sportrelief
Thursday 6th January: Sport Relief has today been announced as an official charity partner of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, marking an exciting new future for the brand.
Through the partnership, there will be a host of public and high-profile events and activities planned in the run-up to the highly anticipated international sporting event taking place in Birmingham, this summer.
The announcement comes as Sport Relief, which is a Comic Relief brand and campaign, transforms into a year-round fundraiser for the first time in its 20-year history, that embraces the everyday popularity and passion for sport throughout the year. It marks an exciting new future for the brand that will continue to raise money to help change lives in the UK and around the world.
The new partnership will launch a range of initiatives to entertain and engage the British public to fundraise, with plans currently in development for Sport Relief content to be broadcast on the BBC throughout the duration of the Games. Money raised will help tackle important issues in the UK and around the world, including mental health problems, gender equality, and supporting young people to reach their full potential.
Sport Relief will be working alongside the two Birmingham 2022 Official Charity Partners, United by Birmingham 2022 Legacy Charity, and the Commonwealth Sport Foundation, to harness the power of sport to help change lives.
Samir Patel, Chief Executive of Comic Relief, said: “It’s a huge honour to be teaming up with the UK’s most exciting international sporting event this year, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. We have so many exciting things in store for all Sport Relief supporters to get involved in and enjoy! 2022 marks 20 fantastic years of Sport Relief and the start of our exciting journey to develop and expand this brilliant campaign which taps into the power of sport and the role it plays in our popular culture. Over the years we have raised an incredible £419m which has helped change millions of lives, thanks to the generous British public and our amazing partners."
John Crabtree, Chair of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games board, said: “This partnership marks an extremely exciting and significant moment in the life of the Games. Working with Sport Relief means that together, we can use the transformative power of sport to not only entertain, but also raise funds for important causes that will have a lasting positive impact. As Birmingham and the West Midlands gets ready for the Games and starts to come alive throughout 2022, this is a perfect announcement to get an unforgettable year off to an epic start."
Sir Lenny Henry, Comic Relief co-founder, said: “Having just missed out on qualifying for the diving, beach volleyball, rhythmic gymnastics, or sixteen other teams – yes, I tried out for them all in what felt like my very own sports day – it’s fair to say I was beyond chuffed when I found out Sport Relief had been named as an official charity partner of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. This year is going to be such an incredible year of sport for Birmingham, the West Midlands and the UK as a whole, and I’m so proud to see Sport Relief kicking off its new journey alongside such a highly anticipated sporting event."
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, the Commonwealth Sport Foundation Vice Chair, Commonwealth Games athlete and 11-time Paralympic Champion, said: “I am absolutely delighted the Commonwealth Games and Sport Relief are teaming up to create a series of exciting activities in the lead up to Birmingham 2022. The 2022 Commonwealth Games will be the biggest major sporting event the UK has hosted in over a decade and this partnership with Sport Relief provides a special opportunity to create a lasting impact and legacy from the 11-day competition. For the Commonwealth Sport Foundation, the vital funds raised will allow us to support people and projects across the 72 nations of the Commonwealth as we look to leverage the inspirational power of sport to make a positive difference in communities across the world."
Commonwealth Games Minister Nigel Huddleston, said: "Birmingham 2022's partnership with Sport Relief will boost the legacy of the Games and help us reach even more people. Funds raised for these three incredible charities will support our vision to transform lives through sport, increase physical activity and mental wellbeing, and use the power of the Games to bring us back together in 2022. By taking Sport Relief to Sir Lenny Henry's home turf in the West Midlands, we can also showcase the best of the region's heritage, creativity and world-class sporting venues."
As Sport Relief, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year, begins its new journey, Red Nose Day will become annual, returning every March, marking the first change to Comic Relief’s campaign format since Sport Relief began in 2002.
More information on the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be released in due course as plans get underway.
For more information visit www.comicrelief.com/sportrelief.
ENDS
ASSETS AVAILABLE
For available assets visit https://dam.gettyimages.com/comic-relief/sport-relief-x-commonwealth-games-2022(opens in new window)
Assets include:
1 minute video – highlights of 20 years of Sport Relief
Range of images, including quoted spokespeople, Sport Relief logo, and contributors featured in 1 minute video
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
Comic Relief Media Team
media@comicrelief.com
0207 820 2500
Out of hours: 07984 510473
www.comicrelief.com/media-centre(opens in new window)
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief raises money to support people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world. Through humour and stories of hope, we have shown that people can make a massive difference.
Comic Relief believes that those who are closest to the issues have the best solutions, and so works with organisations and people with direct experience of these challenges. We fund hundreds of amazing organisations who support the most vulnerable people and communities in society, many of whom have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or who have been forced to flee their homes, women and families at risk of domestic abuse and those struggling with mental health problems.
Comic Relief is continuing to support funded organisations in their response to the coronavirus crisis to ensure their vital work continues.
For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com(opens in new window)
Comic Relief, which is the operating name of Charity Projects, is registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland)
About Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a year-round fundraising campaign and brand run by UK charity, Comic Relief.
Sport Relief harnesses the power of sport and entertainment to bring people together across the country, to get active, have fun and raise life-changing funds. Money raised by Sport Relief helps people in the UK and around the world live free from poverty, violence and discrimination, and supports people with their mental health.
Comic Relief created the first ever Sport Relief in 2002, and since then the British public, schools, partners and familiar faces have come together to raise an incredible £419 million so far, and supported millions of lives in the UK and around the world. For more information about Sport Relief, please visit www.comicrelief.com/sportrelief(opens in new window).
Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief. Comic Relief, which is the operating name of Charity Projects, is registered charity 326568 (England/Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).
About the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which will be held from 28 July until 8 August 2022, will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to put the city, the region, and its people on the global stage.
The Games is already proving to be a catalyst for transformation across the West Midlands, attracting new investment and funding, creating jobs and apprenticeships for local people and new opportunities for local businesses, as well as accelerating projects that will ensure the region is ready to host a fantastic sports and cultural celebration.
Birmingham 2022 will be the Games for everyone, bringing people together from across Birmingham and the region, to provide a warm welcome to millions of visitors during the summer of 2022.
Find out more at www.birmingham2022.com(opens in new window)
About the Commonwealth Sport Foundation
As progressive leaders in sport and social development, the Commonwealth Sport Movement continually strives to demonstrate the power of sport; to unlock our human potential and transform lives. Founded as the charitable foundation of the Commonwealth Sport Movement, the Commonwealth Sport Foundation will look to help address some of the world's greatest challenges: Youth Empowerment, Equal Rights, Historical Injustice, Small States and Island States and Sustainable Cities and Communities.
More details around the Foundation can be found at: www.commonwealthsportfoundation.com(opens in new window).
