TO help raise cash to create more Olympic medallists, the Mary Peters Trust and Newforge Sports Complex are celebrating an action-packed ‘Summer of Sport’ 2024, by announcing a 7-a-side football tournament for businesses and corporates taking place on Friday, October 25.
The one-day charity event will be hosted by South Belfast-based Newforge and held in the facility’s new indoor Sports Hall. The tournament aims to raise cash to support and develop athletes via the Mary Peters Trust, as well as offering local companies vital CSR, team building, people development and staff health and wellbeing opportunities set within a fun context.
Set up in 1975, the Mary Peters Trust supports athletes both in a financial and advisory capacity as there is a huge amount of investment needed to compete at international level.
The North has a wealth of sporting talent, but funding is limited, and Lady Mary Peters started her Trust with an ambition to support young athletes, fuelled by her own challenges when training for the Olympic Games.
The Trust partners with a range of business organisations including King’s Award for Enterprise winning company Alchemy Technology Services - a Mary Peters Trust Podium Partner.
Businesses both large and small are invited to enter mixed teams comprising 10 players with entries costing £40 per person to include all football matches, lunch and post tournament celebratory fork supper, drink and prize-giving.
Organisers are encouraging companies and participants to bring along friends and colleagues as cheerleaders and spectators to add a real ‘tournament’ vibe to the fundraising event.
Urging corporates and organisations to get involved Lady Mary Peters said: “The ‘Beautiful Game’s’ profile has been huge this summer spanning the Germany hosted main Euros to the U19s Euros held here in Northern Ireland, as well as soccer featuring in the Paris Olympics.
“We hope this will spur on CEOs and directors from companies across Northern Ireland to see the value in bringing their staff together to have fun and learn new skills whilst at the same time raising monies for local sport.
“So many of our athletes competing for Team GB and Team Ireland at this summer’s Olympic Games have been supported by the Mary Peters Trust, showcasing just how we can challenge and rival many of the world’s best in sport.”
If any participants are under 18 companies are asked to inform the Mary Peters Trust.
To book a team contact gillian@marypeterstrust.org and for more information check out https://newforge.com/