RBC is proudly backing up-and-coming British sporting talent by supporting 50 of the most promising young athletes through SportsAid for the eighth consecutive year. Each athlete receives financial assistance, recognition and personal development opportunities, helping them realize their full potential.
Team RBC athletes and their families were welcomed to RBC during a virtual reception. This annual ‘Welcome to RBC’ event celebrated our long-standing partnership with the charity and also featured a Q&A with SportsAid alumni and some of our Team RBC athletes.
Dave Thomas, CEO, RBC Europe, said: “Royal Bank of Canada is delighted to continue our work with SportsAid. During our eight-year partnership we have had the privilege of watching many Team RBC athletes go on to reach great heights in their sport. We look forward to supporting another 50 young athletes this year, giving them a helping-hand as they strive to be their very personal best.
“I am proud of the efforts of so many of my RBC colleagues to raise funds for aspiring athletes and support them through our innovative ‘buddy’ programme. This year, SportsAid and our athletes need our support more than ever as they continue to face additional challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic. The commitment, resilience and adaptability these young athletes have shown during unsettling times is commendable and we’ll continue to be here for them every step of the way.”
Since the partnership began in 2014, over 370 athletes have been supported, many of whom have gone on to achieve great sporting success. Most notably, double Paralympic champion Georgie Hermitage was among the earliest recipients of support from RBC. Recent beneficiaries include sprinter Reuben Arthur, who won gold at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and Lauren Hemp and Maya Le Tisser who have signed professional football contracts.
One of the most integral aspects of the partnership is the buddy scheme where each athlete is paired with an RBC employee. Buddies become an extra source of support to our athletes, following their progress and imparting important life-skills for the young sports stars to help them in their athletic careers and beyond.
Over the last eight years, employees have fundraised through various activities, such as challenge events and have raised over £350,000 for SportsAid.
Since 2018, SportsAid has been the beneficiary of RBC Ride for the Kids, where RBC employees and clients, as well as SportsAid ambassadors, have cycled over 25,000 miles and raised more than £200,000. The first ride saw a team of 47 complete a two-day cycle of 184 miles from London to Bruges. The following year, a team of 57 riders, including 40 employees new to the event, took on the 205 mile journey to Brussels. The 2020 edition adopted a virtual format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 70 cyclists completing one of three distances – 57 miles, 77 miles or 100 miles – in their local area raising over £60,000 in much-needed funds for the charity.
The money raised through RBC Ride for the Kids enables SportsAid to run an annual series of workshops for athletes and parents that includes advice on performance lifestyle management, telling your story through the media and nutrition, in addition to mentoring from leading Olympians and Paralympians. During the pandemic, funds from the Ride enabled SportsAid to develop a special online programme.
In 2020, athletes benefitted greatly from the workshops – with a particular focus on mental health and wellbeing – as they looked to overcome the challenges created by the pandemic. Many had to adjust to home-schooling, GCSEs and A-Levels being cancelled and uncertainty around university degrees – on top of the obvious impact on their training and competition schedules caused by restrictions. The 2021 workshops series is about to get underway.
Tim Lawler, SportsAid’s Chief Executive, said: “These are uniquely challenging times for everyone and RBC have been there for SportsAid throughout. From being the first of our partners to confirm awards to athletes during 2020 to fundraising through the one-off 2.6 Challenge, their commitment during the worst months of the COVID-19 pandemic has been hugely appreciated.
“A stand-out moment is how everyone adapted to ensure the Ride for the Kids happened as a remote, virtual sportive which still managed to feel like a shared experience with an incredible fundraising total. These funds have directly enabled SportsAid to not only move its athlete-parent workshop programme online, being available to more people wherever they were isolating, but also to develop the workshop curriculum to include new provision for mental wellbeing support, restful sleep advice and other topics.
“So, it’s a huge thank you from the SportsAid family to the fundraisers, athlete buddies, riders and wider team of colleagues at RBC for their unfailing loyalty and continued support over the years. We couldn’t be more grateful and proud of our association than we are now. Here’s to the Class of 2021 and their return to play and competition.”
You can find out more about SportsAid by visitingwww.sportsaid.org.uk
RBC is committed to making a positive and measurable impact on the communities in which we live and work. Read about the broad range of community initiatives we support in Europe
This publication has been issued by Royal Bank of Canada on behalf of certain RBC ® companies that form part of the international network of RBC Wealth Management. You should carefully read any risk warnings or regulatory disclosures in this publication or in any other literature accompanying this publication or transmitted to you by Royal Bank of Canada, its affiliates or subsidiaries.
The information contained in this report has been compiled by Royal Bank of Canada and/or its affiliates from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty, express or implied is made to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. All opinions and estimates contained in this report are judgments as of the date of this report, are subject to change without notice and are provided in good faith but without legal responsibility. This report is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Past performance is not a guide to future performance, future returns are not guaranteed, and a loss of original capital may occur. Every province in Canada, state in the U.S. and most countries throughout the world have their own laws regulating the types of securities and other investment products which may be offered to their residents, as well as the process for doing so. As a result, any securities discussed in this report may not be eligible for sale in some jurisdictions. This report is not, and under no circumstances should be construed as, a solicitation to act as a securities broker or dealer in any jurisdiction by any person or company that is not legally permitted to carry on the business of a securities broker or dealer in that jurisdiction. Nothing in this report constitutes legal, accounting or tax advice or individually tailored investment advice.
This material is prepared for general circulation to clients, including clients who are affiliates of Royal Bank of Canada, and does not have regard to the particular circumstances or needs of any specific person who may read it. The investments or services contained in this report may not be suitable for you and it is recommended that you consult an independent investment advisor if you are in doubt about the suitability of such investments or services. To the full extent permitted by law neither Royal Bank of Canada nor any of its affiliates, nor any other person, accepts any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this report or the information contained herein. No matter contained in this document may be reproduced or copied by any means without the prior consent of Royal Bank of Canada.
Clients of United Kingdom companies may be entitled to compensation from the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme if any of these entities cannot meet its obligations. This depends on the type of business and the circumstances of the claim. Most types of investment business are covered up to a total of £85,000. The Channel Island subsidiaries are not covered by the UK Financial Services Compensation Scheme; the offices of Royal Bank of Canada (Channel Islands) Limited in Guernsey and Jersey are covered by the respective compensation schemes in these jurisdictions for deposit taking business only.