Tag: Team GB

Sprint World Orienteering Championships take centre stage in Edinburgh

THREE Scottish athletes will proudly pull on their Great Britain vests later this week as they represent their country at the Sprint World Orienteering Championships (www.woc2024.org), taking place in Edinburgh from 12-16 July.

Brother and sister Peter and Grace Molloy from Linlithgow and Freddie Carcas from Edinburgh will form a GB team of 10 athletes, as they take part in five days racing in the Capital.

Often thought of as a countryside sport, WOC 2024 will be staged in the intricate urban terrain Edinburgh has to offer, with the capital’s iconic landmarks providing the perfect backdrop for the elite courses.

The event is yet another opportunity for the public to watch elite sport in the capital – but this time for free. Fans will be able to watch the world’s best orienteering athletes tackle challenging routes which weave through the city’s historical and cultural attractions while enjoying a fun day out with the family.

There are free family activities are on offer throughout the week, including orienteering mazes, fun races and all the action on live screens. The orienteering maze and big screen will feature in Princes Street Garden on Friday (12 July), followed by fun races for kids and adults alike at The Meadows, as well as another orienteering maze, from Saturday 13 July until Monday 15 July.

With Great Britain finishing second in the medal table at the last Sprint World Orienteering Championships in Denmark in 2022, the host nation will be looking to go one better and top the table.

Grace Molloy from Linlithgow who is in contention for one of the top places explained how she is feeling about competing in front her home crowd: “I’m excited to race in a city as iconic as Edinburgh, especially as it is 30 minutes from my home, and I’m looking forward to truly challenging the best athletes in the world.

“This is the first WOC where I’ve had the speed to match the top women and I’m hoping to achieve top 10 positions in the individual races and a medal in the relay.”

The five-day orienteering festival also features amateur races for all ages and levels, with competitors as young as 10 and some in their 80s. The ‘WOC Tour’ will allow competitors, from those relatively new to the sport up to experienced recreational athletes, to experience the best of urban orienteering.

The first elite races will be the Individual Sprint taking place in Leith on the morning of Friday 12th July, with finals in the afternoon finishing in Princes Street Gardens. The action continues on Sunday 14th July at Heriot Watt University with the Team Sprint Relay.

On Tuesday 16th July the Knockout Sprint qualifications take place at Wester Hailes with the finals finishing on St John Street in Central Edinburgh.

Find out more about WOC 2024 and the WOC Tour. 

WOC 2024 will be broadcast on Eurovision Sport (www.eurovisionsport.com), the European Broadcasting Union (IBU)’s new free streaming platform and on the IOF YouTube channel.

Firrhill High School pupil is creator of Aldi’s latest lorry design

A Firrhill High School pupil has been crowned the winner in Aldi’s nationwide lorry design competition, as part of its ongoing partnerships with Team GB and ParalympicsGB. 

The supermarket asked young people across the country to hand draw a design for its next lorry, with Firrhill High School pupil Victoria, age 13, winning the competition. 

The designs had to inspire others to enjoy healthy and sustainable food, with Victoria’s winning design focusing on how incorporating fresh fruit and vegetables can help everyone build a healthy future.  

The judges, including Scottish Paralympian Melanie Woods, were impressed by Victoria’s creation, which will now be seen on an Aldi lorry as it delivers the supermarket’s products to stores across the country. 

The supermarket has also rewarded the young artist with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB and ParalympicsGB goodybag. Victoria’s school will also receive £1,000 to spend at Aldi. 

Jemma Townsend, Marketing Director at Aldi, said: “The Design a Lorry competition is part of our collaborative efforts with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to promote healthy eating among young people. 

“We had more than 12,000 entries from talented young artists, but it was Victoria’s design that really stood out to our judges due to its eye-catching illustrations and use of bold colours.” 

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “There were so many strong entries this year, it made it difficult to pick just two winners.

“However, Victoria’s design captured the topic of healthy and sustainable food perfectly.” 

Jenny Seymour, Commercial Director at ParalympicsGB, said: “Victoria’s winning design showcases brilliantly the importance of fresh and healthy food.

“Our athletes enjoyed surprising her at school last week when her winning design appeared on the road for the first time and hosting an assembly for the pupils.” 

Alongside the Design a Lorry competition, Aldi, Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s Get Set to Eat Fresh programme offers a series of teaching resources to educate children about nutrition and build their love and curiosity about healthy, sustainable food.

It can be accessed at www.getseteatfresh.co.uk. Schools and parents can sign up to use all the programme’s resources at https://getseteatfresh.co.uk/register. 

Team GB and Persimmon team up to produce community challenge for schools

Team GB and Persimmon Homes have launched Get Set to Build a Community, a cross-curricular challenge to support the development of employability, teamwork and decision making skills in students aged 11–14 in the run up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Originally created as the official education programme for London 2012, Team GB and ParalympicsGB’s youth engagement programme Get Set now offers a broad programme of free, cross-curricular resources and activities for schools and community groups.

Get Set to Build a Community tasks students with planning, designing, building and marketing a community-focussed housing development with Team GB athletes at its heart. They will use knowledge of previous Olympic parks, and plans for future parks, as the basis for a development that upholds the Olympic Values of excellence, respect and friendship.

Selected schools participating in the challenge will receive a visit from a Team GB athlete in the build up to Paris 2024. Participating schools can also request a visit from a Persimmon Homes Ambassador to support the delivery of the programme and talk about the benefits of a career in the home building industry. 

With a network of Ambassadors across the country, Persimmon is trying to encourage the next generation of construction workers by giving students the opportunity to learn about the range of career pathways available to them. 

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “The support we receive from our partners is essential in enabling us to take the nation’s best athletes to an Olympic Games, and in turn inspiring households and communities across the UK with their stories.

“The Get Set program in particular supports young people to fulfil their potential, and this new challenge developed in partnership with Persimmon will give the next generation even more opportunities to engage with Team GB in the build up to Paris 2024.”

John Roocroft, Persimmon’s Regional Chairman in Scotland, said: “I am delighted to be launching the Get Set to Build a Community challenge with Team GB.

“At Persimmon we are always looking to see how we can encourage local youngsters to consider a rewarding career in construction, so using our relationship with Team GB in this way is a great initiative.

“I encourage all local schools to take up the challenge.”

Clifton Hall’s Isabella wins Aldi’s Design A Lorry competition

A pupil from Clifton Hall School in Newbridge has been awarded the top prize in a nationwide lorry design competition hosted by Aldi, as part of its long-standing partnership with Team GB.

Isabella, aged five, was voted the winner of the Design a Lorry competition, which asked young people across the country to hand draw a lorry design celebrating fresh, healthy food.

She impressed the judges, including Team GB athletes Jack Carlin and Max Whitlock with her colourful pictures which showcase fresh Aldi fruit and vegetables.

An Aldi lorry with Isabella’s winning design parked up at Clifton Hall School last week, while Team GB athlete Jack Carlin also paid the school a visit to mark the occasion.

When visiting the school, Jack held a Q&A with the children and took part in an assembly on what it’s like to be a Team GB athlete, their training regime and what Jack eats to stay healthy.

The supermarket has also rewarded the young artist with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB goody bag. Isabella’s school will also receive £1,000 in Aldi vouchers, which they plan to put towards healthy goodies for the students.

Max Whitlock, triple Olympic champion who was on the judging panel, said: “It was great to see so many children across the country get involved in the competition.

“Selecting a winner from a pool of more than 24,500 entries wasn’t easy, but Isabella’s design really stood out to us due to the bright, colourful and beautifully drawn fruit and vegetables.”

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi, said: “The Design a Lorry competition is just one of the initiatives we’ve created to encourage young people to think about and engage with healthy eating.

“Our judges were really impressed with Isabella’s submission, and we hope that winning this will inspire her to continue learning more about the benefits of healthy eating.

“Drivers in Edinburgh and across the country should keep an eye out for the lorry when they’re out and about.”

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said:“Throughout our partnership with Aldi on the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme they have continuously created new and innovative ideas to engage and inspire young people around the topic of eating fresh and healthy food.

“This was yet another fun opportunity for school pupils to see their creativity rewarded and for their schools to benefit also.”

The Design a Lorry competition was launched as part of Aldi’s Get Set To Eat Fresh initiative that aims to inspire students aged five to 14-years-old to cook and eat healthy, fresh food. Over the past five years, the programme has reached more than 2 million children across the UK.

Edinburgh’s Scott Quin aims for back-to-back Paralympic medals

After winning a silver medal for Team GB at Rio in 2016, Edinburgh-based para-swimmer Scott Quin hopes to double his medal tally this summer in Tokyo.

Scott has been sponsored by national rail contractor, QTS Group, throughout the last five years in his preparation for the Tokyo games.

In recognition of his continued commitment to his sport and to help inspire other young athletes to follow their dreams, QTS has named Scott as an ambassador for its Youth Athlete Programme.

Launched in 2014, the programme supports aspiring young athletes, by providing funding to help towards the costs of training and competing. QTS currently has 15 athletes on the programme, including Scott and fellow ambassador, skier, Nicole Ritchie.

The summer Paralympics will take place in August and will be 31 year-old Scott’s second games. In Rio 2016, he narrowly missed out on the gold medal in the 100m Men’s S14 Breaststroke, taking home a silver, but this year he’s aiming for the top podium spot.

Following a tough 18 months of training which has brought new challenges following the Covid-19 pandemic, Scott is now working with a new trainer Matt Trodden. Matt has known Scott for 10 years, but it was not until this year that he took control of Scott’s Paralympic preparations.

Scott said: “Rio 2016 was an amazing experience, but for me it is all about the swimming and trying to inspire other young athletes to get into the pool!

“That is why I enjoy the work with QTS Group so much, the company are really supportive and it’s a privilege to be an ambassador. QTS has relieved the financial strain of competing from myself and my family, paying for travel, accommodation, food, and equipment. This means I can put all my concentration into the pool and fully focus on my training, and hopefully some more success.

“Being an ambassador has also inspired me to work towards a career behind the scenes when I eventually can’t compete at the highest level. I want to inspire other young athletes – across all abilities – that if you work hard enough and keep your feet grounded, anything is possible.”

Scott was born five weeks prematurely with a life-threatening condition, Crouzon syndrome which causes the brain and skull to fuse together.

With just a three percent chance of survival he underwent an eight-hour surgery where medics broke every bone in his face, reshaped his skull and lifted his eyes upwards. He was left with a large scar from ear to ear, tunnel vision and learning difficulties.

Scott is now one of Britain’s top para sport swimmers and the European record holder at 100m and 200m breaststroke. He hopes to add Paralympic Gold medal holder to his long list of sporting achievements this summer.

As an ambassador to QTS Group’s Youth Athlete Programme, Scott is a testament to the programme’s success. Scott hopes to help nurture and inspire other young athletes as they join the programme and progress in their sporting careers.

Alan McLeish, Managing Director of QTS Group said: “Scott is a true inspiration to anyone that meets him. His outlook on life is so humbling when you know what he has been through.

“It is a genuine privilege to be able to support his training and preparations as a para-swimmer, and specifically, the Tokyo games. Everyone at QTS will be setting their alarms to watch Scott in Tokyo to cheer him on!”

Clock is ticking for youth projects to share in £1 million giveaway

Leading housebuilder, Persimmon Homes in Scotland is urging youth groups, schools and sports clubs across its North, East and West regions to apply for a share of its £1million charity giveaway before it’s too late.

Projects must make their applications to the Building Futures scheme at www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/ before the closing deadline of midnight on August 15 2021.

Persimmon’s scheme aims to support community groups working with under-18s across three categories – education & arts, health and sport.

Persimmon Homes regional chairman for Scotland, Doug Law, said: “The last 18 months has been a challenging time for everyone but now restrictions are starting to ease, it’s more important than ever to look after our mental and physical health.

“We’re extremely proud to be making donations between £1,000 and £100,000 to grassroots sports groups, charities dealing with physical and mental wellbeing issues, as well as community arts and education projects.

“Over the years we’ve seen what a massive difference this funding can make to schools, clubs and charities, so we’re encouraging everyone to apply now.”

Building Futures is delivered through the Persimmon Charitable Foundation in partnership with Team GB, the British Olympic Association, and the housebuilder enlisted the help of Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Dani Rowe (top) to launch the scheme.

A total of 128 grants of £1,000 will be awarded across Persimmon’s 32 businesses to improve local facilities and the delivery of vital community projects.

Three initiatives will go on to win £100,000 each through a national online public vote. The winners will be named at a gala dinner for finalists in November.

In each sector – education & arts, health and sport – as well as the £100,000 first prize, there will be a £50,000 second prize and a £20,000 third prize, while a further 87 shortlisted projects will each receive £5,000.

Last year’s top prize winners were Northampton Swimming Club (sport), Ringsfield Hall Eco Activity Centre (arts & education) and The Children’s Hospital Charity (health).

Catherine Foster, trusts fundraising manager for The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “It’s difficult to put into words how we felt when we won the top prize of £100,000, it was like all of our Christmases came at once.

“The funding has been put towards a new cancer and leukaemia ward and it’s going to be absolutely amazing once it’s up and running. We’re going to have a state-of-the-art facility thanks to Persimmon Homes so we don’t really have any words to say thank you enough.”

Doug added: “We want to hear from local groups, charities and individuals who have ambitious plans on how they would spend the big cash prizes. We’ve had some fantastic applications over the years so we’d urge anyone, however big or small their idea is, to apply today.”

To find out more about or to apply Building Futures visit:

www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/

Olympics 2020: Tom Daley makes a splash as Team GB’s biggest Instagram influencer

  • Analysis of Team GB athletes’ Instagram accounts reveals that Tom Daley is the biggest influencer, with Andy Murray coming close second
  • Sky Brown, the youngest athlete to ever compete in Team GB at just 13 years old, has 825,000 Instagram followers – the third most
  • Players on women’s football team boast 16 spots in the Top 50

Team GB star Tom Daley has won gold before the Olympics have even started, topping the podium as Britain’s most influential athlete at the games.

New research by CasinoScores.com has revealed that Daley can earn up to £6,845 per sponsored Instagram post.

The study analysed the Instagram profile of each Team GB member and used social media market data to discover who are the most influential athletes representing Britain in Tokyo. 

Tom Daley, who will compete as part of the diving team, boasts two million Instagram followers, giving him the highest earning potential in Team GB. He tops list, beating out other big names such as Andy Murray, Dina Asher-Smith and Adam Peaty.

The diver, who won bronze at the London 2012 Olympics, has garnered followers not only from his diving success but his knitting account which went viral during lockdown.

Andy Murray earns the silver medal when it comes to the most influential athletes on Team GB with two million followers and the potential to earn up to £5,887.50 per sponsored post. 

Surprisingly, the third most influential athlete is Sky Brown, the youngest ever athlete on Team GB at just 13. The skateboarder has potential earnings of £4,102.50 per post thanks to 823,000 Instagram followers.

Most Influential Athletes in Team GB on Instagram and what they could earn
AthleteInstagram HandlePotential Earnings per sponsored postNumber of Instagram followers
Tom Daleytomdaley£6,8452,000,000
Andy Murrayandymurray£5,887.502,000,000
Sky Brownskybrown£4,102.50823,000
Geraint Thomasgeraintthomas86£2,400481,736
Adam Peatyadam_peaty£2,290459,683
Shauna Coxseyshaunacoxsey£2,113.75424,000
Tommy Fleetwoodofficialtommyfleetwood£1,696.25340,000
Dina Asher-Smithdinaashersmith£1,521.25304,220
Lucy Bronzelucybronze£1,325265,000
Leah Williamsonleahwilliamson£1,306.25260,000
Fran Kirbyfrankirby£1,241.25248,000
Jack Laugherjacklaugher£1,138.75227,324
Steph Houghtonstephhoughton2£1,096.25221,000
Katarina Johnson-Thompsonjohnsonthompson£1,087.50217,000
Tom Pidcocktompidcock£1,077.50219,000

Olympians that have won gold have gone on to make significant earnings from their sporting success. Eight time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt has amassed 10.2 million Instagram followers and can now charge up to £25,000 per sponsored post.

The analysis showed that women’s football is the most influential sport according to Instagram with 16 of the top 50 spots being occupied by the Women’s football players. 

A spokesperson for CasinoScores.com commented: “The competition for medals at the Games will be fierce, but these figures show that there is plenty of opportunity for athletes to strike gold through their social profiles.

“On average, a Team GB athlete in our top 50 can earn more than £1,000 for a sponsored Instagram post. And as the UK cheers them on this summer, they can expect their followings to grow even more.”

The research was carried out by CasinoScores.com, which is dedicated to providing players with live casino statistics, live scores and more.

 https://www.casinoscores.com

Lord Provost wishes Edinburgh’s Olympians good luck

The Lord Provost has wished all those born or based in the Capital the very best for the Tokyo Olympic games which open today (Friday 23 July).

Team Edinburgh includes rowers Katherine Douglas, Harry Leask, Polly Swan, Karen Bennett and Lucy Hope as well as Bradley Forbes-Cryans going for gold in the canoe slalom. In the pool will be divers Grace Reid and James Heatly, as well as swimmers Lucy Hope and Cassie Wild. 

Ross McCann will compete in the GB Rugby Sevens team, while Sarah Addlington will battle for Team GB in judo. On the track, Joshua Kerr will compete in the 1500m and shooting star Seonaid McIntosh will be gunning for a gold medal this weekend.

Lord Provost Frank Ross, said: “As Lord Provost and on behalf of the people of Edinburgh, I would like to congratulate all the athletes on their selection to represent Team GB at the forthcoming Olympic Games. They are fantastic ambassadors for the City.

“In taking part in the Games they are representing extraordinary dedication and determination in their sports and are an inspiration for sporting fans throughout the Capital. Edinburgh has impressive representation with athletes born, based or training and studying in the Capital and I’m sure residents will join me in cheering them on as they go for gold. I wish you all the very best for Tokyo 2020.”

Aldi launches children’s lorry design competition with Team GB

With just over two months until the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Aldi is running a nationwide competition with Team GB, calling on budding child artists to submit a design for its latest lorry. 

The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket is inviting school children aged between five and 14 to enter a hand-drawn design by Friday 25th June that celebrates fresh, healthy food.

The competition is the next step in Aldi’s longstanding partnership with Team GB, and the shortlisted entries will be judged by Team GB athletes – including Max Whitlock, Shauna Coxsey, Lois Toulson, Jade Jones, Lutalo Muhammad, and the Brownlee brothers – who will select one winner for Scotland, and one for England and Wales.

This initiative also forms part of Aldi and Team GB’s Get Set to Eat Fresh programme that aims to inspire young people to build their understanding and love of healthy, fresh food. Over the past five years, the programme has reached more than 1.9 million children across the UK.

Winners will see their design on an Aldi lorry, which will deliver food and drink products to stores across the country.

The supermarket will also reward the winning artists with Aldi vouchers and an exclusive Team GB goody bag. The winners’ schools will receive £1,000 to spend at Aldi.

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi, said: “The Design a Lorry competition is the latest in a series of initiatives we’re delivering in partnership with Team GB to encourage young people to think about healthy eating.

“We are looking forward to seeing the entries and hope that those taking part will learn about the benefits of choosing to follow a healthy diet along the way.”

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “Throughout our partnership with Aldi on the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme they have continuously created new and innovative ideas to engage and inspire young people around the topic of eating fresh and healthy food.

“This is a fun opportunity for school pupils to see their creativity rewarded and for their schools to benefit also. We look forward to seeing the end results.”

Alongside the Design a Lorry competition, the Get Set to Eat Fresh programme also offers a series of teaching resources, which can be used to educate children about eating well, the skills they need to cook for themselves and how fresh, healthy food powers Team GB’s champion athletes.

These can be accessed at getseteatfresh.co.uk/.

Schools and parents can sign up to enter at: getseteatfresh.co.uk/designalorry.