SportsAid
Purpose
SportsAid offers financial support to talented young sports people at the start of their careers and during times of financial hardship. As a charity it has been supporting aspiring athletes since 1976 and has funded past badminton stars such as Gail Emms, Nathan Robertson and Rajiv Ouseph.
Competing at national and international level means huge personal expense for young athletes and their families and SportsAid aims to help support players and parents through this.
Every year Badminton England nominates young badminton players to receive, on average, a financial contribution of around £1,000, which can be used for essential costs such as training, equipment, competition costs and travel.
For 2021-22, the nominations of athletes to SportsAid will be slightly different and is based again on a quota of nominations Badminton England has been provided by SportsAid as determined by the National Awards Committee. The quota for 2021-22, has been reduced across all sports, with Badminton now in receipt of 10 nominations. However, this is partly as a result of the following Programme launch which is being delivered in partnership by Commonwealth Games England and SportsAid – the Team England Futures (TEF) Potential Programme and the Team England Futures Preparation (further details on these additional 2 places are located on this page).
Team England Futures (TEF) POTENTIAL Programme Nominations
For 2012-22 Awards, the SportsAid Award will be re-termed as the TEF Potential Programme which will see a cohort of young athletes provided with a unique experience and insight into a multi-sport, major Games environment and utilising a home Games as a developmental opportunity within the Talent Pathway.
Badminton, as noted above, has been provided with 10 TEF Potential Nominations and 8 TEF Potential Backing the Best Programme Nominations, to start in February 2022 and which will encompass those athletes eligible for SportsAid support. As well as the potential to receive a financial Award (contingent on the charity’s fundraising and current levels of partner investment), players nominated onto the TEF Potential Programme will have access to a curriculum of educational content delivered virtually covering a range of subjects. In addition to that, participants will also arrive in Birmingham during Games time to experience two ticketed events facilitated by SportsAid alumni.