Siemens Announces £3.2 Million Sponsorship
Siemens has announced a £3.2 million sponsorship to be the "High Performance Partner to the Great Britain Rowing Team" to the end of 2012.
Aside from lottery funding, which continues to be a major benefit to the sport, this investment is the most significant to be secured by British rowing from private sector sponsorship and will help the ARA to identify and develop world-class rowers to give them the best chance of winning medals in future world championships and major events.
As the High Performance Partner, Siemens will work with the GB Rowing Team on innovative ways to assist the team’s training and the performance of
its men’s, women’s and adaptive (rowers with a physical or sensory disability) crews. Funding will also be available to continue to develop the new national rowing training facility and to add value to the ARA’s World Class Start Programme, designed to support talented and emerging individuals.
Alan Wood, UK chief executive of Siemens, said: “This is about more than
branding. We have a track record of introducing technology to sport, from innovations like Hawk-Eye to the latest and medical equipment, and we intend to focus our efforts on helping British rowing in any way we can.”
“We liked the outreach opportunity that this partnership with GB Rowing offers us: to work with the ARA and local rowing clubs and schools,” said Wood, “This enables our employees to get involved at local community level. Our core business is about making things better and helping companies and communities compete and flourish in world markets: the fit with rowing is right for us.”
“Siemens was one of the major sponsors of London’s successful Olympic bid last year and we are now the first major new company to back grass-roots British sports in the run up to 2012,” added Wood.
Rowing is one of Britain’s most successful Olympic sports and there are high expectations on the young rowers coming through to win their share of the medals for the country in 2012.
As part of its sponsorship, Siemens will back the ARA’s High Performance Programmes in Clubs designed to identify potential medal-winning talent at rowing clubs around the country and nurture those individuals to help boost Britain’s chances of winning medals at World Cup events, World Championships and other major events.
Di Ellis, Chairman of the ARA, aid: "We are extremely proud to welcome Siemens into the family of rowing. These are innovative and exciting times for rowing and this High Performance Partnership fills us with confidence
as we prepare for the challenges of our home-based World Championships, next month at Eton, as well as on the road to the Beijing and London Olympic Games".
David Tanner, Manager of the GB Rowing Team and Performance Director of the Amateur Rowing Association, welcomed the new agreement with Siemens. “This partnership with Siemens will help us spot new talent and develop a world-beating rowing team. We are also excited at the prospect of working with some of the country’s top scientists to help us stay ahead of the competition in sports science.
“I believe business will play a crucial role in helping British athletes to win medals in Beijing and London and I am looking forward to the exchange which will take place between the GB Rowing Team and Siemens’ 21,000 UK employees on issues such as nurturing teamwork, setting goals, motivation, and competitiveness.”
Siemens’ initial commitment is for a £3.2 million sponsorship with the ARA over six-and-a-half-years. In addition to the support for the ARA and to underline Siemens’ long-term support and commitment to rowing, Siemens will be a Main Sponsor and the Premier National Sponsor of the World Rowing Championships organised by FISA, the world rowing federation. The Championships are being held at Dorney Lake, a new Olympic venue near Eton.
