Two Yorkshire charities have scored a share of £30,000 following a high-profile fundraising event celebrating past, present and future sporting heroes.
Yorkshire Sport Foundation and The Children’s Hospital Charity and have been presented with a cheque for £15,000 each raised at Sheffield’s Celebration of Sport glitzy gala dinner.
The red-carpet event, hosted by Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, was attended by medallists from the Olympics, Paralympics, European Championships, and Commonwealth Games including Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Held at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield (EISS) in October, the bi-annual event included an awards presentation to recognise the success of the city’s grassroots, elite and world champion sporting stars.
Yorkshire Sport Foundation is a charity supporting organisations across the nine districts of South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
Helen Marney, director of development at Yorkshire Sport Foundation, said: “It was an honour to be a part of this fantastic event and we are incredibly grateful to Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park for choosing to support our charity.
“At the event, we saw how sport is having a positive impact on so many groups and individuals across Sheffield. This money will support our work in giving more people in communities across South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire the opportunity to make physical activity a normal part of their everyday lives, and to experience all the benefits that brings to their physical and mental wellbeing.”
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is delivering a tangible legacy from the London 2012 Olympic Games through a combination of world-class sports facilities, education, new skills, research and innovation, environmental improvements and opportunities for the local community.
The site is home to 121 athletes preparing for the Tokyo 2020 Games and eight sports governing bodies.
The Rt Hon Richard Caborn, Project Lead for Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, said: “Sheffield’s Celebration of Sport was an incredible way to honour the success of our elite athletes at major sporting events over the last two years, including the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, European Championships and Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup.
“At the same time, it was an opportunity to profile and celebrate the region’s talent at grassroots level across a range of sports and disciplines at the superb EISS where many of our elite athletes train.
“We are really proud to have hosted such a superb evening, but also to raise such a fantastic fundraising total for two worthy charities. We would like to thank everyone who attended and supported The Children’s Hospital Charity and Yorkshire Sport Foundation.”
The Children’s Hospital Charity’s share of the fundraising money will go towards the £4.5m appeal to transform the Emergency Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The department was built to see a maximum of 32,000 patients a year, but now sees 60,000 children every 12 months. The new facility will ensure that children receive the best possible care in the most appropriate setting.
David Vernon-Edwards, Director of The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “It was a wonderful evening and testament to the hard work of everyone involved in organising the event. We’re so thankful it raised such a fantastic total for our Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
“A new Emergency Department has never been more needed as we strive to build a better future for our young patients. Thanks to the Sheffield Celebration of Sport, we’ve moved a step closer to achieving our goal.”
